From the Revolutionary War to World War II, Black American soldiers have undergone centuries of having to repeatedly prove their worth with each conflict in which they served.
The issuance by President Harry S. Truman of Executive Order No. 9981 finally integrated the United States Army, but it was not until Vietnam that Black and white soldiers truly became accustomed to depending on one another in combat.
Prior to that, a number of Black service personnel laid the groundwork with a succession of “firsts” in battle, including many Medals of Honor and the first commissioned officers. It was not until Vietnam, however, that a Black soldier, Riley Pitts, earned both an officer’s commission and the Medal of Honor.
Born in Fallis, Oklahoma, on Oct. 15, 1937, Riley Leroy Pitts attended Wichita State University, the first in his family to go to college. After graduating with a degree in journalism, he married Eula Mae and had a daughter, Stacie, and a son, Mark. He initially worked for a time with Boeing Aviation before enlisting in the Army in 1960 and subsequently earning a second lieutenant’s commission.
Starting out as an information officer, Pitts eventually retrained for an infantry role. He had risen to a captain’s rank and commanding officer of Company C, 2nd Battalion, 27th Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, when he was shipped out to Vietnam in December 1966.
Pitts’ unit served with distinction throughout the following months, including during Operations Cedar Falls and Junction City in 1967 as well as a fall offensive to keep the communist Viet Cong too off-balance to interfere with the South Vietnamese.
On Oct. 31, 1967, Capt. Pitts was getting “short” — with a month to go before rotating back to the U.S. — when C Company was called upon to reinforce a fellow unit that was heavily engaged.
Arriving by helicopter at Ap Dong, Binh Duong Province, the company proceeded on foot into a jungle dominated by thick foliage — and Viet Cong on their home turf. After overrunning the first positions they encountered, Pitts and his troops advanced into a crossfire from three directions, including at least four bunkers, two of which were just five meters from Pitts’ position.
The soldiers’ rifles proved ineffective in the dense vegetation, so Pitts grabbed an M79 grenade launcher he found nearby and used it to pinpoint targets. He also found an enemy grenade in some captured web gear and hurled it at the nearest bunker — only to see it rebound off the foliage and land between him and some of his troops. Without hesitation, Pitts threw himself over the grenade but it was, to everyone’s relief, a dud.
From there, “Capt. Pitts then directed the repositioning of the company to permit friendly artillery to be fired,” his citation reads. “Upon completion of the artillery fire mission, Capt. Pitts again led his men toward the enemy positions, personally killing at least one more Viet Cong. The jungle growth still prevented effective fire to be placed on the enemy bunkers.
“Capt. Pitts, displaying complete disregard for his life and personal safety, quickly moved to a position which permitted him to place effective fire on the enemy. He maintained a continuous fire, pinpointing the enemy’s fortified positions, while at the same time directing and urging his men forward, until he was mortally wounded.”
Pitts was 30 years old.
C Company pushed forward to seize the objective, though ultimately the overall battle’s outcome was inconclusive. Still, many of Pitts’ soldiers believed they would not have made it through the ordeal had it not been for the leadership of their CO.
On Oct. 10, 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson awarded a posthumous Medal of Honor to Pitts’ wife and two children — the first such honor to a Black commissioned officer in the Army.
“He was a brave man and a leader of men,” Johnson said. “No greater thing could be asked of any man.”
Pitts is buried at the Hillcrest Memory Gardens Cemetery in Spencer, Oklahoma. Pitts Hall at the Lucius D. Clay Kaserne Army garrison in Wiesbaden, Germany, was named for the soldier, as was Pitts Park in Oklahoma City, in which a mural was added on Nov. 11, 2023.
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