A Petaluma veteran who was awarded the nation’s highest military award, the Medal of Honor, only to struggle with drug felonies in civilian life, has been pardoned by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
The governor granted the posthumous pardon this past Friday to Richard Allen Penry, a U.S. Army sergeant who served in the Vietnam War.
Penry was a rifleman in the 199th Infantry Brigade in what was then Binh Tuy province in 1970 when his unit came under intense enemy fire. The company commander and most of his platoon members were seriously wounded, according to his Medal of Honor citation.
Penry “succeeded virtually single-handedly in stopping the attack,” exposed himself to enemy fire and led wounded soldiers to safety, the citation said.
In 1971, President Richard Nixon awarded Penry the Medal of Honor for “extraordinary heroism at the risk of his own life.”
“Sergeant Penry returned from active duty at a time when there were few resources for veterans and little understanding of PTSD,” Newsom said, referring to post-traumatic stress disorder.
“He struggled with reentry to civilian life, which was the context for his substance use and criminal convictions,” the governor said.
“If PTSD can impact a Medal of Honor recipient like SGT Penry, it can affect anyone. Seeking support is important for veterans and their families and communities.” Andrew M. LeMarQuand, VFW Post 1929 commander
Penry died in 1994 at the age of 45. The posthumous pardon was requested by a veteran’s group from Sonoma County.
“I recognize the experiences of SGT Penry through my own combat service,” said Andrew M. LeMarQuand, commander of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1929, in a statement provided by the Governor’s Office.
“If PTSD can impact a Medal of Honor recipient like SGT Penry, it can affect anyone,” he said. “Seeking support is important for veterans and their families and communities.”