Medal of Honor for Pfc. Garfield M. Langhorn displayed at Riverhead town hall

Ever since Joseph Garfield Reid can remember, his late uncle’s Medal of Honor was the first thing he saw when he walked into his grandparents’ Riverhead home.

The medal, accompanied by a light blue ribbon, was given in honor of Garfield M. Langhorn, a private first class who sacrificed his life to save his fellow soldiers by throwing himself on a live grenade during the Vietnam War, stood "front and center" on their mantel for "everybody to see."

"I've never seen it not there," said Reid.

But for the first time since President Richard Nixon granted the medal to Langhorn’s family in 1969, the medal will be the first thing the public sees at Riverhead town hall.

The medal, along with Langhorn’s uniform, personal photographs and items, went on display on Friday, or officially Pfc. Garfield M. Langhorn Day in the Town of Riverhead. It will be showcased to the public until Veterans Day on Nov. 11.

It was one of two ceremonies Friday honoring Langhorn. Pulaski Street Intermediate School hosted its 20th annual memorial ceremony dedicated to him with an assembly.

Born Sept. 10, 1948, in Cumberland, Virginia, Langhorn was raised in Riverhead along with his three sisters. He attended Riverhead High School and was a track star, running the 400-meter and 800-meter races.

His sisters, Yvonne Reid, 78, Anna Mack, 74, and April Armstead, 72, who now live in Virginia, described their brother as a kind soul.

Armstead said he taught her how to skip rocks, and that he would make kites for his family. Mack recalled her older brother would help her with geometry. Math was Langhorn’s favorite subject, she said.

"He sat in the cafeteria each day to eat his lunch. He ran the track. He sat at this auditorium for assemblies. He stood at attention to pledge to the flag, never knowing his allegiance and his loyalty to his country would be tested only a few short years," said Mack.

After graduating in 1967, he worked as a computer processor and became engaged to his girlfriend, Joan Brown. But in October 1968, Langhorn was drafted and deployed to the jungles of Vietnam, working as a radio operator, said Trevor J. Hewitt, a music educator with the Riverhead school district, who spoke at the Pulaski Street ceremony.

On Jan. 15, 1969, only three months after arriving in Vietnam, Langhorn’s platoon was sent on a rescue mission to retrieve two soldiers shot down in a helicopter. After navigating the jungle using only geographic coordinates, the troops discovered that the helicopter crewmen had died.

As they attempted to retrieve the bodies to be returned home, the platoon came under enemy fire. While soldiers fired back in defense, many of them were wounded, and a grenade landed a few feet away from Langhorn.

Langhorn then threw himself over the grenade "without thought for his own safety," shielding his troop from harm, Hewitt said. His final words, according to his fellow soldier were: "Someone’s got to care."

Hewitt said: "He sacrificed his own life to protect the lives of those soldiers."

Nixon awarded the Medal of Honor on April 7, 1970, to Langhorn’s family. It is the highest military decoration given to those who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor.

Since then, the Town of Riverhead, as well as Langhorn’s loved ones, have paid tribute to him. In 1993, a bronze bust of Langhorn was erected in front of Riverhead's town hall. The town post office was renamed in his honor in 2010. 

In 2021, the town officially declared the second Friday in October Langhorn’s namesake day, in order to honor his sacrifice and continue to educate others.

Said Councilman Ken Rothwell at the display ceremony: "Everyone that lives in Riverhead, travels through Riverhead, should know exactly what Garfield Langhorn did."

At the Pulaski school Friday, students lined up in uniform to honor the man who once walked through the same halls and sat in the very seats where sixth graders holding American flags sat.

Riverhead High School formerly occupied the building where the intermediate school currently operates.

Each year, the school holds an essay contest for sixth graders who are asked how they can emulate Langhorn in their everyday lives. This year, the contest received more than 336 entries.

The event began with a slideshow of photographs of Langhorn’s life, from childhood, through school years, to being engaged, to when he was drafted. Narration of quotes from Langhorn’s siblings accompanied each frame.

Riverhead High School ROTC led the room in a Pledge of Allegiance and presentation of colors.

Guest speakers with various connections to Langhorn, such as Clarence Simpson, vice president of Vietnam Veterans of America, Suffolk County Chapter 11, councilman Rothwell and the keynote speaker, former Congressman Tim Bishop, spoke about Langhorn’s character and how his actions inspire us to make a difference.

Former classmate Dennis Beaver, recalled how while serving as a manager of the track team, he once felt bewildered when Langhorn applauded him for keeping time of the runners — a small thing to give credit for, but it showed the generosity of Langhorn’s character, he said.

Reid, who goes by his second name, Garfield, said he has a "spiritual connection" with his uncle, and has been told they have similar mannerisms. He won a full scholarship to college as a track star, and even competed in 400-meter and 800-meter races like his uncle.

Seeing his uncle’s medal on display, as well as attending the essay contest ceremony felt "surreal," Reid said.

"Seeing him being honored," he said, "It's just an incredible feeling."

CORRECTION: Trevor J. Hewitt's name was misspelled in a previous version of this story.