America250: Army Veteran Clifford Sims

Clifford Sims was born in Florida on June 18, 1942, and was orphaned at an early age. He enlisted in the Army in 1961 and found the home he had been looking. He served briefly in the 82nd Airborne, but was transferred to the 101st Airborne when the Vietnam conflict escalated. Sims served as a squad leader in Company D, 2nd Battalion, 501st Infantry, known as the “Delta Raiders.”

Smis began his Vietnam tour in late 1967, just a few weeks before the Tet Offensive. In February 1968, he and his fellow Raiders found themselves on the outskirts of Hue, which had seen heavy fighting.

On February 21st, Sims was leading his squad away from a burning ammunition dump when he heard a booby trap set off. To save his brothers, he screamed for them to get back and jumped onto the explosive, taking the full brunt of the blast. He was killed instantly.

His commanding officer later wrote that, “Sims saved the lives of at least three of his squad and two of the company headquarters by absorbing the shock of the blast himself… SSG Sims made the greatest sacrifice a soldier can make… and no mark of tribute can be too great.”

For his sacrifice, Sims was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. He was buried in Barrancas National Cemetery on March 15, 1968, in Section 29, Site 546.

Please take a moment to honor this hero by visiting his Veterans Legacy Memorial page.

America250

VA is highlighting 250 Veterans leading up to July 4, 2026, which marks 250 years of independence. Learn more about the count down to 250 years of the American spirit at the America 250 web page.

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This #VeteranOfTheDay is from the Veterans Legacy Program. To learn more about the VLP, our partnerships and how we share the stories of Veterans in our national cemeteries, please visit the VLP webpage.