MONDAY, MAY 20, 2024 

Calvin Bouknight, Washingtonian,

McKinley Tech Graduate, Class of 1959

and American soldier, was awarded the Silver

Star posthumously for his actions at the Battle of

Ia Drang Valley, November 14, 1965.

He lost his life after saving the lives of four other soldiers.

• Calvin Bouknight

  June 23, 1941 – November 16, 1965

  Specialist 5 Calvin Bouknight, a Washington DC native, graduate of

  McKinley Tech High School class of 1959, was a medic for the 1st Cavalry

  Division, and a conscientious objector. On November 14, 1965, his unit

  landed in an area about the size of a football field and a half. The Battle of

  the IA Drang Valley would be the United States' first major offensive of the

  Vietnam War. Calvin’s job was to stay near 2Lt. Dennis Deal until needed,

  which would prove to be sooner than expected.

  The attack began in the early afternoon. The cacophonous sound of the

  battle was horrendous. 2Lt. Deal imagined the sound being akin to 1,000

  rounds a second. Radios were immediately tied up with situation reports.

  His unit began to take casualties. The men were faced down in the grass.

  While assessing the situation 2Lt. Deal literally felt “boots up my back.”. It

  was Calvin. During the ferocious firefight, Calvin rushed out to attend to the

  wounded soldiers. He shielded them with his body as he attended to them.

  After about five minutes of heroism, Calvin was hit in the back between the

  shoulders. During a lull in the battle two soldiers brought him off the field.

  He talked about the intense pain, and that he was not able to feel his legs.

  His wound proved to be mortal. He tried to save the lives of four soldiers at

  the expense of his own.

  Specialist 5 Bouknight was mentioned in LTG Hal Moore’s book “We Were

  Soldiers Once and Young.” Calvin was buried in Section 38-240 at Arlington

  National Cemetery. Five months later in April 1966, he was awarded the

  Silver Star posthumously.

  Until recently his Silver Star award was not on his headstone, but because of

  the efforts of the staff at Arlington National Cemetery, he has received a

  new headstone with his Silver Star award inscribed.

• Program

  Procession

  Presentation of Colors

  McKinley Tech High School JROTC, MAJ Monica Martinez, Cmdr., SFC

  Scheddrick Womack, Instructor

  National Anthem

  Daphne Dunston Wharton, McKinley Class of 1981

  Pledge of Allegiance

  Invocation

  LTC (R) Chaplain Grace R. Hollis USA, McKinley class of 1979

  Welcome

  COL (R) Charles Alexander, Superintendent, Arlington National Cemetery

  Music

  “Garry Owen” SFC (R) Donald Francisco, USA, Old Guard Fife and

  Drum

  Introduction of Keynote

  John W. McCaskill, M.A. McKinley Class of 1981

  Keynote

  BG Yolanda “YR” Summons, Director for Policy and Force Integration,

  HQDA OTSG

  Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, G-3/5/7, USAMEDCOM

  Wreath Laying

  Dr. Reynard Bouknight, Dr. Joyce Bouknight-Gant, Ms. Katrina

  Bouknight, led by SFC Donald Francisco

  Taps

  Thomas M. Sneeringer, Bugles Across America

  Remarks

  Jan Scruggs, Vietnam Veteran, Founder of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial

  Final Remarks

  John W. McCaskill, M.A.

  Benediction

  LTC (R) Chaplain Grace R. Hollis

  Retirement of Colors

  McKinley Tech High School JROT