Governor Gavin Newsom announced on Veterans Day that he has begun the process of granting a posthumous pardon to the only Petaluma resident to receive the Medal of Honor during the Vietnam War.
As part of the Governor’s series of Veterans Day announcements highlighting the state’s investments in veterans’ mental health and pardoning five military personnel for their past crimes in Southern CaliforniaIn addition, Newsom said he has initiated the process of granting a posthumous pardon to Sergeant Richard Allen Penry, an Army veteran from Petaluma who received the Medal of Honor after returning from Vietnam.
Sergeant Penry received the Medal of Honor from President Nixon in 1971 for “extraordinary heroism at the risk of his life.” According to his Medal of Honor citation, Sergeant Penry almost single-handedly thwarted an enemy attack on his platoon and rescued several wounded fellow soldiers.
The release from the governor’s office noted that Sergeant Penry “returned from active duty at a time when there were few resources for veterans and little understanding of PTSD.” His struggle to return to civilian life and deal with the psychological scars of war led to Sergeant Perry self-medicating with illegal substances. He received several drug-related convictions, including an arrest for selling cocaine to an undercover police officer in 1974.
The announcement additionally noted that because Sergeant Penry had more than one felony conviction, Governor Newsom cannot grant a pardon without the approval of the California Supreme Court.
