There’s a sign on the intersection of Kingston Pike and Virtue Road that you’ve probably passed a thousand times which says “Sgt. Mitchell W. Stout Medal of Honor Memorial Virtue Cemetery.” If you turn onto Virtue Road then Evans Road, you’ll find this marble memorial to one of East Tennessee’s greatest military heroes. Recently, the Army renamed a weapon system in honor of this local soldier.
Mitchell Stout from Loudon County, Tennessee originally tried to join the Army in 1967 at just 17 years old. He had already completed paratrooper school before they realized he was too young and discharged him, but Stout was undeterred. When he turned 18, he rejoined as an artilleryman, serving in the Vietnam War.
In 1970, while stationed near the Khe Gio Bridge, he and his men were under heavy fire when the enemy tossed a live grenadeinto their bunker. Heroically, the 20-year-old Stout grabbed the grenade and clutched it to his chest to dampen the blast, saving his men at the cost of his own life.
Stout’s family remembers his love for his men, who he referred to as “his guys.” In the end, he proved that love by sacrificing himself to save others. Stout was awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery. He is buried in Virtue Cemetery in Knoxville, near the church he frequently attended.
Recently, the military renamed a missile system after Stout. The Maneuver-Short Range Air Defense system will now be known at the Sgt. Stout. A press release from the U.S. Army explains that the system “uses a mix of guns, missiles, and onboard sensors attached to a Stryker Infantry Carrier Vehicle to defend against unmanned aircraft systems, rotary wing, and fixed-wing aircraft.”
The press release quotes Doug Bush, assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics, and technology who said: “Naming this game-changing air defense capability after Sgt. Stout was appropriate and well-deserved, given his heroic efforts to protect fellow Soldiers from danger… The M-SHORAD was designed to do the same against a variety of airborne threats.” It’s a small way to honor a local hero. who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Sergeant Major of the U.S. Army Michael R. Weimer unveiled the Sergeant Shorad Stryker combat vehicle during the 249th Army Birthday Festival at the National Museum of the U.S. Army, Fort Belvoir, VA. June 15, 2024. The M-Shorad uses the M-1126 Stryker combat vehicle as its chassis. The M-SHORAD’S dedicated air defense artillery (ADA) and non-dedicated air defense capabilities enable movement and maneuver by destroying, neutralizing, or deterring low-altitude air threats to defend critical fixed and semi-fixed assets and maneuver forces.
