A New York Jewish soldier, Sgt. Kenneth A. Siegel, who won the Silver Star for heroism under fire, was honored in Congress today. He received the medal for his leadership of a reconnaissance patrol last Nov. 14 on a mission to investigate Viet Cong concentrations in a jungle near Lai Khe. The citation said Sgt. Siegel killed a number of Viet Cong guerrillas and exposed himself to heavy fire to cover evacuation of members of his patrol by helicopter.
The citation said that Sgt. Siegel’s “unquestionable valor in close combat with numerically superior hostile forces is in keeping with the finest traditions of the military service and reflects great credit upon himself, the First Infantry Division and the United States Army.”
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
