Compiled and Edited By C. Douglas Sterner

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  HQ US Army, Vietnam, General Orders No. 5896 (December 30, 1968)
  

Hazel, Richard L.

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Richard L. Hazel, Specialist Fourth Class, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam, while serving with Company A, 3d Battalion, 22d Infantry, 3d Brigade, 4th Infantry Division. Specialist Four Hazel distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 21 March 1967 while serving as a fire direction computer during an assault by a Viet Cong regiment in Tay Ninh Province. During the early morning hours, the hostile regiment launched a massive infantry, mortar, and rocket assault on the entire friendly defense perimeter. The spearhead of the assault was directed at the infantry positions in front of the bunker occupied by Specialist Hazel. When he saw that friendly mortar emplacements had been destroyed and defensive positions in his sector were being overrun, he left the security of his bunker while receiving intense enemy fire to place grenade fire on the assaulting waves of insurgents. At one point he silenced an enemy recoilless rifle position that had destroyed numerous bunkers and was hitting at large areas inside his unit's perimeter. With complete disregard for his own safety, he moved throughout the area of enemy penetration while aiding the wounded and moving them for treatment and evacuation. When other sectors were overrun by repeated Viet Cong assaults, Specialist Hazel, already exhausted from two hours of heated battle, led an assault with men from assorted units in a vicious fight to reclaim the overrun positions. Specialist Hazel and the others managed to hold the reclaimed areas, until reinforcements arrived four hours later, by fighting insurgents outside and inside the perimeter. Specialist Four Hazel's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.

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  HQ US Army, Vietnam, General Orders No. 3147 (June 25, 1967)
  

Hazelip, Charles R.

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Charles R. Hazelip, Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam, while serving with Company A, 12st Battalion, 69th Armor, 4th Infantry Division. Staff Sergeant Hazelip distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 31 May 1967 while serving as Platoon Sergeant of an armor platoon on a cordon and search mission at An Qui. Upon entering the village, Sergeant Hazelip's unit came under heavy attack from a well-entrenched North Vietnamese battalion. During the decisive first minutes of the battle, he exposed himself to the withering fire to direct the fire of his tanks on the enemy positions. When the platoon leader's radio was damaged, Sergeant Hazelip took command of the entire platoon and laid down a heavy barrage of fire to enable the infantrymen to evacuate their wounded. He positioned the combined team for an assault and destroyed many enemy bunkers with his tank and grenades. While organizing a second assault, Sergeant Hazelip exposed himself to a direct hostile fire to aid a wounded comrade. Then, with little ammunition left, he valiantly led a second attack which overwhelmed the enemy and defeated them. His dauntless courage and quick reactions in the early fighting prevented the enemy from seizing control of the situation. Staff Sergeant Hazelip's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty where in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.

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  HQ US Army, Vietnam, General Orders No. 4456 (September 1, 1967)
  

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Paul V. Healey, Private First Class, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam, while serving with Company B, 716th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Group, 18th Military Police Brigade. Private First Class Healey distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 31 January 1968 while serving with a military police reaction force during a combined Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army offensive against Saigon. The enemy had launched concerted attacks on installations throughout the city, and his unit was called to dislodge a Viet Cong suicide squad which had taken control of the American Embassy compound. Heedless of enemy fire directed at him, Private Healey rammed the main gate of the Embassy with a jeep in an attempt to gain entrance to the compound. When the gate failed to open, he shot the lock off with a pistol and fearlessly led a charge into the bullet-swept grounds. Braving a savage hail of automatic weapons fire and exploding grenades, Private Healey moved from position to position, killing eight insurgents with rifle fire and grenades as he advanced. He then moved to the rear of the compound to rescue an embassy officer trapped on the second floor of a house occupied on the ground floor by Viet Cong. Fully exposed to withering hostile fire, he raced across the open lawn and hurled a riot gas grenade into the building. The insurgents continued to resist, and he fearlessly approached the building a second time through intense fire and tossed weapons and ammunition up to the unarmed officer. Assured that the man had a means of defending himself, Private Healey withdrew to cover and placed fierce fire on the Viet Cong in the building until they were annihilated. His dauntless and aggressive efforts in close combat saved the life of the fellow American and were instrumental in the successful defense of the United States Embassy. Private First Class Healey's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.

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  HQ US Army, Vietnam, General Orders No. 1173 (March 18, 1968)
  

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to George H. Heaps, Sergeant First Class, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam, while serving with Detachment A-302, Company A, 5th Special Forces (Airborne), 1st Special Forces. Sergeant First Class Heaps distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions during the period 2 November 1966 to 5 November 1966 while serving as Special Forces commander of a Vietnamese force during a search and destroy mission in Tay Ninh Province. After infiltration, Sergeant Heaps led his force in a search for Viet Cong units. He engaged small hostile forces, routed the insurgents from their fortifications, and advanced only to encounter increasing numbers of the enemy. Ignoring the intense hostile fire, he moved to an exposed position on high ground and established radio contact with supporting aircraft to guide air strikes on the Viet Cong. Sergeant Heaps quickly followed up with an assault on the enemy positions, inflicted severe damage, and then withdrew and set up a helicopter landing zone to evacuate casualties. The next day, while his unit was distributing ammunition it had received, a Viet Cong regiment attacked the area. Against overwhelmingly superior numbers, he kept his force together and held off the insurgents throughout the day and night. The next morning, during a human wave attack, Sergeant Heaps and another American were severely wounded and left for dead as his men retreated under the hostile onslaught. When he revived, he led a small band of survivors out of the area to an extraction zone, set fire to dry brush to attract helicopters, and was successfully evacuated. Sergeant First Class Heap's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.

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  HQ US Army, Vietnam, General Orders No. 2694 (June 6, 1967)
  

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to David Peter Hellenbrand, Specialist Fourth Class, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam, while serving with Company B, 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry, 2d Brigade, 1st Infantry Division. Specialist Four Hellenbrand distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 1 December 1968 as point man for his company during a reconnaissance-in-force mission southeast of Phouc Vinh. While breaking a trail through the thick jungle, Specialist Hellenbrand spotted three North Vietnamese soldiers in a bunker who were preparing to ambush his unit. He immediately shouted a warning to the other men and assaulted the entrenched communists, firing his rifle as he advanced. The withering enemy fire mortally wounded him, but he managed to crawl to an opening in the bunker and threw a grenade inside, killing the three hostile soldiers and destroying the fortification. Because of his quickness and courage, he saved many of his comrades from injury or death. Specialist Four Hellenbrand's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty, at the cost of his life, were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.

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  HQ US Army, Vietnam, General Orders No. 1147 (April 3, 1969)
  

Helmick, Robert F.

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Robert F. Helmick, Captain (Armor), U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam, while serving with Company D, 16th Armor, 173d Airborne Brigade. Captain Helmick distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 4 March 1968 while engaged with a numerically superior North Vietnamese Army/Viet Cong force which had captured the northern half of the city of Tuy Hoa. When one of his armored personnel carriers was hit by an enemy rocket during an attack on the entrenched communists, Captain Helmick moved his vehicle over to the disabled track to prevent it from being overrun until both carrier and crew were evacuated. Although weak from loss of blood because of wounds received in the morning, he continued to spearhead his company's efforts and late in the afternoon the enemy was trapped on all sides. Finding that his fire was having no effect against one fortification on the final assault, he jumped from his track with an automatic rifle and killed the occupants of the bunker. Two armored personnel carriers on his right flank received direct hits from hostile rockets and Captain Helmick was again wounded. With complete disregard for his safety, he brought heavy fire against the communists while his stricken comrades were evacuated and exposed himself to the murderous fusillade until the enemy was defeated. Captain Helmick's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.

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  HQ US Army, Vietnam, General Orders No. 1196 (April 7, 1969)
  

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Robert L. Helvey, Captain (Infantry), U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam, while serving with Company A, 2d Battalion, 12th Cavalry, 3d Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile). Captain Helvey distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 7 January 1968 while serving as a company commander during a search and destroy mission near Landing Zone Ross in the Que Son Valley. His company was attacked from well-concealed and emplaced positions by an estimated North Vietnamese Army battalion firing machine guns and mortars. One platoon was cut off from the rest of the unit. Captain Helvey sent a call for reinforcements to a sister company and an armored cavalry troop. Then, with complete disregard for his safety, he ran to an advantageous but completely exposed position to direct artillery, aerial rockets and helicopter gunship fire into the massing North Vietnamese. When the armored personnel carriers and tanks arrived he directed an assault which enabled his isolated platoon to rejoin the rest of the unit. The sister company fought through the enemy lines and the three units formed a defensive perimeter. As the North Vietnamese were reinforced and increased their supporting heavy weapons fires, the armored troop's commander was mortally wounded, and vital communications equipment was destroyed. Captain Helvey personally led several counterattacks on the surrounding enemy searching for weaknesses in their envelopment. Determining that a breakout was imperative, he again exposed himself to the intense fire to coordinate the maneuver with all elements. In the breakout the other company commander became a casualty, and Captain Helvey exposed himself to increasingly heavy fire to direct that unit's movement. As he continued the attempted escape, he led his men through an enemy trench line, fighting off the North Vietnamese at ranges as close as three feet. He was painfully wounded in the leg during this action, but he refused medical treatment for himself to successfully complete his units' escape, leading them to the comparative safety of Landing Zone Ross. Captain Helvey's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.

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  HQ US Army, Vietnam, General Orders No. 5219 (November 10, 1968)
  

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Donald L. Henderson, Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam, while serving with Company A, 2d Battalion, 39th Infantry, 1st Brigade, 9th Infantry Division. Staff Sergeant Henderson distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 6 March 1968 while on a seventeen-man night ambush patrol in Dinh Tuong Province, Vietnam. His small unit was suddenly subjected to a heavy automatic weapons and rocket attack from three sides. Crawling from man to man, Sergeant Henderson discovered that three men, including his platoon leader, had been killed and six others were too seriously wounded to return fire. He skillfully organized the remainder of the group and directed counterfire on the enemy, killing at least four of the attackers. After bringing the wounded within the perimeter he had established, he assigned one man to care for them while he distributed ammunition and offered encouragement to his beleaguered force. As he exposed himself to the Viet Cong weapons to better adjust supporting artillery fire, Sergeant Henderson received gunshot wounds in his left leg and right foot. Refusing to be placed with the other casualties, he directed gunship attacks and artillery strikes on the enemy. He then secured a landing zone and directed the helicopter evacuation of the wounded. Despite the pain of his injuries, he remained with the rest of his men and successfully led them to safety. Staff Sergeant Henderson's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.

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  HQ US Army, Vietnam, General Orders No. 4341 (September 12, 1968)
  

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Richard A. Hendrick, Sergeant, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam, while serving with Command and Control (South), Task Force 1, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces. Sergeant Hendrick distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 21 April 1971 while serving as the team leader of a small reconnaissance patrol deployed deep within enemy controlled territory. After engaging a hostile force, Sergeant Hendrick deployed his men into a defensive perimeter. Returning to the point of initial contact, he retrieved two wounded allied soldiers and eliminated several enemy soldiers during the rescue mission. As the superior-size force launched an attack, Sergeant Hendrick exposed himself to the hostile fusillade in order to place accurate suppressive fire upon the attackers, repelling their advance. During the second attack, he was wounded by an enemy hand grenade. Ignoring his own wounds, Sergeant Hendrick continued to put devastating fire upon the foe. Summoning air support, he directed their fire upon the belligerent force. Then, as evacuation helicopters arrived, Sergeant Hendrick assisted two wounded soldiers in hooking up to extraction ropes from the hovering aircraft while under constant enemy fire. Sergeant Hendrick's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.

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  HQ US Army, Vietnam, General Orders No. 2264-238 (June 9, 1971)
  

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Daniel A. Hennessy, First Lieutenant (Infantry), U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam, while serving with Company B, 1st Battalion (Airborne), 8th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile). First Lieutenant Hennessy distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 28 December 1966 while serving as a platoon leader with elements of the 8th Cavalry n a search and destroy mission in Quan Hoai An Province. When his platoon suddenly received intense hostile fire from a nearby village, Lieutenant Hennessy dauntlessly led an assault on the Viet Cong positions. Maneuvering through a hail of bullets, hem moved to the head of the platoon and was the first man to enter the hamlet. Unmindful of his vulnerable position, Lieutenant Hennessy fearlessly engaged the enemy with his rifle and hand grenades. He then called for artillery strikes within ten meters of his own position, which allowed his platoon to reach cover at the edge of a rice paddy. As he shouted orders and pointed out hostile emplacements, Lieutenant Hennessy was critically wounded by Viet Cong fire. Realizing that his wounds were fatal, he courageously continued to direct his men, until finally turning over command to his platoon sergeant with his last words. Demonstrating unimpeachable valor and profound concern for the men under his command, he inspired them to overwhelm and defeat the entrenched hostile force. First Lieutenant Hennessy's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty, at the cost of his life, were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.

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  HQ US Army, Vietnam, General Orders No. 1658 (April 13, 1967)
  

Henry, Jeffery J.

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Jeffery J. Henry, Private First Class, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam, while serving with Troop B, 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry, 1st Infantry Division. On 24 February 1966, Private First Class Henry was serving as scout observer for an armored personnel carrier. At 0300 hours, the brigade perimeter at Tan Binh, Republic of Vietnam, was attacked by three Viet Cong battalions heavily armed with mortars, anti-tank weapons, and small arms. When the insurgents maneuvered to encircle an infantry patrol some distance to the front of the perimeter, Private Henry's armored personnel carrier and one tank immediately went to the rescue. Three rounds of recoilless rifle fire disabled his vehicle, wounding the armored personnel carrier commander and driver, thereby halting the progress of the vehicle. With complete disregard for his own personal safety, Private Henry removed the machine gun from the pedestal mount of the armored personnel carrier and engaged the hostile recoilless rifle crew from an exposed position. Despite intense small arms and hand grenade fire, Private Henry continued to engage the hostile forces placing deadly and accurate suppressive fire on the insurgents until he was ordered to evacuate the vehicle. Private Henry is credited with saving the life of the wounded tank commander by pulling him to the ground when he heard a recoilless rifle crew preparing to fire their weapons. Because of his instantaneous action, both he and the commander were only slightly wounded even though the recoilless rifle struck four feet from them. Private First Class Henry's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.

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  HQ US Army, Pacific, General Orders No. 181 (August 2, 1966)
  

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Ferdinand Hepp, First Lieutenant (Infantry), U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam, while serving with Company C, 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile). First Lieutenant Hepp distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 21 October 1966 while serving as platoon leader during a search and destroy mission near Bong Son. As his unit approached a likely ambush location, Lieutenant Hepp radioed for artillery strikes in the area, then moved forward with ten men to investigate some abandoned bunkers. After advancing 50 meters, the element was hit by intense fire from a reinforced Viet Cong company. Lieutenant Hepp tried to link up with the rest of his platoon, but the insurgents had closed behind him and had the small group surrounded. Without a radio, he led his men into the empty bunkers he had just checked and placed himself at the best point to control his men in defending their position until reinforcements arrived. When ammunition ran low, one of his men crawled out to retrieve some rifle ammunition and an anti-tank weapon. As he crawled back into the foxhole with them, however, an enemy shell exploded the weapon, killing the soldier and wounding Lieutenant Hepp. Regaining consciousness an hour later, he found himself nearly deaf, and only one man in his element remained unwounded. During the night, insurgents tried to creep into his position. Lieutenant Hepp calmly killed five of them at nearly point blank range. After directing the defenses of his nearly hopeless position against an overwhelming hostile force for over ten hours, Lieutenant Hepp received reinforcements and dauntlessly led his men through two more hours of fighting before the Viet Cong were driven off. First Lieutenant Hepp's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.