Brandon Bender

🇺🇸 Most Badass Marines You Don’t Know: #5 Melvin E. Newlin Melvin E. Newlin is an American Badass He was an 18-year-old Marine machine gunner. A savage Viet Cong night assault wiped out his entire team in seconds and turned him into a one-man wall of fire at Nong Son outpost. Born September 27, 1948, in Wellsville, Ohio. He graduated high school in June 1966 and enlisted in the Marine Corps just weeks later. He joined because “He wanted to do something for his country,” according to his sister. Assigned as a machine gunner with 1st Platoon, Company F, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division. On the night of July 3-4, 1967, Newlin and four other Marines manned a key position on the perimeter of the Nong Son outpost in Quang Nam Province. The enemy unleashed a savage mortar and infantry assault. In the opening moments all four of his comrades were killed and Newlin was seriously wounded. Propping himself against his machine gun, he poured a deadly storm of fire into the charging ranks of the Viet Cong. Enemy bullets ripped into him again and again. Still he held the line and twice drove back fierce attempts to overrun his position. The battle was so intense his barrel glowed red-hot. He changed it with his bare hands, never slowing his fire. On the third assault a grenade explosion wounded him again and knocked him unconscious. The enemy, believing him dead, bypassed his position and continued their attack. They were wrong. Newlin regained consciousness, crawled back to his gun, and opened fire on the rear of the enemy force, throwing them into chaos and mowing them down. When the Viet Cong captured a recoilless rifle and tried to turn it against the Marines, Newlin shifted fire and cut them apart. Then they came at him again a fourth time. He threw them back again. They charged a final time. Newlin stayed glued to his machine gun until he was mortally wounded. When it was all over, dozens of enemy bodies lay piled up outside his position. Newlin shattered the entire enemy assault. He bought the time his fellow Marines needed to organize. For his extraordinary courage and devotion to duty, Private First Class Melvin E. Newlin was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. The name Melvin E. Newlin is inscribed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on Panel 23E, Row 005. Let’s say his name. He earned it. Melvin E. Newlin is a Marine Badass 🇺🇸