MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (April 24, 2022)— The Congressional Medal of Honor Society regretfully announces that Kenneth E. Stumpf, Medal of Honor recipient, passed away Saturday, April 23, 2022, in Tomah, Wisconsin, at age 77.

On April 25, 1967, U.S. Army Spc. 4th Class Kenneth E. Stumpf was in Duc Pho, Vietnam, when his platoon came under heavy fire from well-fortified enemy bunkers. Three of his fellow servicemen fell wounded.

Ignoring the fire that was concentrated on him, Stumpf left cover three times to carry each one back to friendly lines. He then organized the remaining men to neutralize two enemy bunkers. Stumpf took on a third bunker by himself, despite machine gun fire directed on him, enabling the success of the mission and preventing further loss of American soldiers.

For his actions that day, Stumpf was presented the Medal of Honor by President Lyndon B. Johnson on Sept. 19, 1968, in a White House ceremony.

Stumpf was born in Neenah, Wisconsin, on Sept. 28, 1944. He was drafted in 1965 from a factory job. He served three tours in Vietnam. In 1994, he retired from the Army as a Sergeant Major after 29 years of service.

When asked about his actions that day, Stumpf replied, “I’ve always said I didn’t do anything above and beyond the call of duty. What I did was my duty. I had to do that… it was a responsibility that I had to my men.”

He is survived by three children and numerous grandchildren. Burial arrangements are pending currently.

There are now 65 Medal of Honor recipients alive today.

About the Congressional Medal of Honor Society

The Congressional Medal of Honor Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Medal of Honor and its Recipients, inspiring Americans, and supporting the Recipients as they connect with communities across the country.

Chartered by Congress in 1958, its membership consists exclusively of those individuals who have received the Medal of Honor. There are 65 living Recipients.

The Society carries out its mission through outreach, education and preservation programs, including the Medal of Honor Museum, Congressional Medal of Honor Outreach Programs, the Congressional Medal of Honor Character Development Program, and the Congressional Medal of Honor Citizen Honors Awards for Valor and Service. The Society’s programs and operations are funded by donations.

As part of Public Law 106-83, the Medal of the Honor Memorial Act, the Medal of Honor Museum, which is co-located with the Congressional Medal of Honor Society’s headquarters on board the U.S.S. Yorktown at Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, was designated as one of three national Medal of Honor sites.

Learn more about the Medal of Honor and the Congressional Medal of Honor Society’s initiatives at https://www.cmohs.org.