Thomas Franklin Herkins of Brookville, Ohio, served in the Army of the United States as a sergeant, E-5, with A Company, 1st Battalion, 50th Infantry, 173rd Airborne Brigade, after arriving in Vietnam on May 6, 1968, as an 11B20 infantryman replacement. The 173rd Airborne Brigade had become the first major US Army unit sent to Vietnam after leaving Okinawa on May 5, 1965. Herkins spent time around LZ Uplift, the 506 valley, and the Bong Son Plains before Alpha Company drew bridge guard in late August twenty kilometers west of An Khe in Binh Dinh Province. His platoon was assigned the last three bridges, 24, 25, and 26, and he and ten comrades were on Bridge 26 on Highway QL-19. On August 24, 1968, at 0245 hours, a reinforced enemy platoon attacked his position under cover of a windy and moonless night with heavy small arms and rocket fire. Herkins immediately returned effective fire, and within ten minutes saw that two wounded soldiers still lay in the path of the attack. He ran back into the enemy assault to try to save them and fought hand to hand with the enemy, but before he could reach the wounded he was mortally wounded. He was killed in action at Binh Dinh, South Vietnam, and received the Bronze Star with V Device for heroism, along with the Combat Infantry Badge, Purple Heart, National Defense, Vietnam Service, and Vietnam Campaign awards. Also killed in action on Bridge 26 were 1LT Daniel O. Abernathy of Burlington, New Jersey, and PFC Albert R. Gutierrez of San Antonio, Texas; six others were wounded.