Compiled and Edited By C. Douglas Sterner

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  HQ US Army, Vietnam, MACV Support Command General Order No. 2442 (October 17, 1972)
  

McDonald, Charles A.

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Charles A. McDonald, 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 Airborne Division Advisory Detachment (Airborne), United States Military Assistance Command, Vietnam. Staff Sergeant McDonald distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 19 February 1967 while serving as Assistant Battalion Advisor to a Vietnamese airborne battalion during an attack by an overwhelmingly larger Viet Cong force. Sergeant McDonald was thrown to the ground by the initial mortar explosions that hit his camp. He rushed to the perimeter, through darkness that was filling with the light of hostile tracer rounds, and saw waves of Viet Cong assaulting to within close range. Engaging the insurgents at the point of heaviest fire, he succeeded in closing a gap in his unit's perimeter and killed four of the enemy. Although he was wounded in a subsequent mortar attack, Sergeant McDonald refused to be evacuated and resolutely remained at his post for eight and one-half hours. To prevent the Viet Cong from massing for an effective attack, he periodically saturated his perimeters with air and artillery strikes to within 30 meters of his own position. During the pauses, he led his men in fierce counterattacks on the insurgents. At one point, a Vietnamese soldier ran out to capture an enemy weapon and was cut down by hostile machine gun fire. Sergeant McDonald took two grenades with him, crawled under friendly machine gun covering fire, and threw the grenades into the hostile emplacements, and dragged the soldier to safety. Sergeant McDonald's indomitable fighting, and that of the Vietnamese, inspired by his bravery, accounted for more than 100 Viet Cong killed in action. Staff Sergeant McDonald'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. 2390 (May 25, 1967)
  

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Martin Terrance McDonald, 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 Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2d Battalion, 503d Infantry, 173d Airborne Brigade. Specialist Four McDonald distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 10 April 1971. On that date Specialist McDonald was serving as a medical aidman for a six man reconnaissance team on an offensive mission in Phu My District, when the team was taken under fire by an estimated platoon-sized enemy force. The enemy-initiated contact included rockets, machinegun and automatic small arms fire. In the initial hail of fire, the team leader was severely wounded, and the remainder of the team was halted a short distance away, leaving him in an open, vulnerable position. Specialist McDonald, although wounded himself during the initial contact, realized the extreme danger his team leader was in and, with total disregard for his personal safety, exposed himself to the intense enemy fire and ran to the aid of his fallen team leader. He then placed himself between the team leader and the enemy and began returning fire. An incoming rocket landed nearby, wounding him for the second time as the force of the explosion knocked him to the ground. He immediately recovered and rolled over on his team leader to protect him from the enemy fire. Realizing that further movement was impossible, Specialist McDonald stood up between the enemy and the severely wounded man and began placing accurate semi- automatic fire upon the enemy positions, until he was mortally wounded by an enemy rocket. Specialist Four McDonald'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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  Department of the Army, General Orders No. 32 (August 3, 1972)
  

McDougald, Lacy, Jr.

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Lacy McDougald, Jr., 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 B-55, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces. Sergeant First Class McDougald distinguished himself while serving as Senior American Advisor to a company of Vietnamese soldiers during an assault of Nui Khet Mountain. Although a previous allied attack on the enemy emplacements had been repulsed, Sergeant McDougald led his men through the intense enemy fire up the steep incline of the mountain. As the enemy fire intensified, the sergeant crawled to a forward observation point where he directed allied artillery on enemy positions less than thirty meters away. Continuing the assault, he exposed himself to a hail of enemy bullets as he moved from man to another encouraging each to sustain the attack. Suddenly, Sergeant McDougald's company came under an intense grenade attack from an enemy bunker complex. Without hesitation, he moved to a large rock formation and tossed numerous grenades into the nearby enemy bunkers thereby destroying them. As a result of this action, the remaining friendly forces soon overran the enemy soldiers and secured the mountaintop for the allies. Sergeant First Class McDougald'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. 4058 (August 31, 1970)
  

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to John W. McEnery, Lieutenant Colonel (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 Headquarters & Headquarters Troop, 3d Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. Lieutenant Colonel McEnery distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 20 March 1969 as commanding officer during an assault on an enemy base camp. After having organized a combined armor and infantry task force to reinforce a platoon engaged with an enemy unit, he flew to the location of the firefight to assess the progress of his troops. Despite the heavy antiaircraft barrage directed at his helicopter, he continued flying at a low altitude to direct the movement of the ground elements. When communication with his ground commanders was disrupted, he had his aircraft land in the combat area in order to maintain control of the attack on the hostile positions. After organizing his elements into an assault formation, he climbed into the deck of a tank and led the assault into the hostile base camp. Although he was wounded by grenade fragmentation, he persisted in directing the operation until the enemy had been eliminated. Only after he was assured that all of the casualties were receiving medical assistance and that a defensive position had been established for the night did he consent to his own evacuation. Colonel McEnery'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. 2946 (August 4, 1969)
  

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Edward G. McGinnis, 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 Advisory Team 73, IV Corps Tactical Zone, United States Military Assistance Command, Vietnam. Sergeant First Class McGinnis distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 10 and 11 February 1969 while advising a regional strike force company on an airmobile search and destroy operation in Kien Hung District, Chuong Thien Province. About noon, his unit was pinned down in a rice paddy by fierce hostile fire from a nearby woodline. Nine men were wounded and trapped in the open field. Sergeant McGinnis rushed from his relatively safe position, through the deadly barrage, to the wounded men. He then began to administer first aid to his Vietnamese comrades. Inspired by his courageous actions, others from his unit followed his example. Soon most of the wounded had been reached, and Sergeant McGinnis, braving the enemy fusillade, began pulling the injured to safety. Having retrieved as many casualties as possible, he assisted in moving them further to the rear to be evacuated. He then proceeded to pinpoint enemy positions, directing gun ship fire until dark. Sergeant McGinnis' 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. 2212 (June 24, 1969)
  

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Arthur J. McGowan, Jr., 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. During the period 27 and 28 February 1966, Lieutenant McGowan was serving as Assistant Battalion Advisor to the 1st Battalion, 43d Infantry Regiment, Army of the Republic of Vietnam, engaged in the defense of Vo Xu, Binh Tuy Province. In the initial insurgent assault, the battalion advisor and the weapons advisor were killed by automatic weapons fire. Captain McGowan immediately took charge and established radio contact with higher headquarters and the United States Air Force Forward Air Controller, providing the necessary information for effective air strikes on insurgent positions. For six continuous hours, under the intense hail of hostile mortar, small arms, and machine gun fire, and despite painful wounds by small arms grenades, Captain McGowan continued to engage the Viet Cong while maintaining Contact with the Air Force Forward Controller. Upon cessation of firing, he directed that a helicopter landing zone be located and personally supervised the orderly evacuation of wounded Vietnamese personnel. Captain McGowan's extraordinary heroism and gallantry in action were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Army and reflect great credit upon himself and the military service.

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  HQ US Army, Pacific, General Orders No. 112 (May 19, 1966)
  

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Robert S. McGowan, Lieutenant Colonel (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 Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3d Squadron, 4th Cavalry, 25th Infantry Division. Lieutenant Colonel McGowan distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 2 March 1969 while serving as commander of a squadron conducting a reconnaissance-in-force mission in the southern portion of the Bo Loi Woods. When his squadron came under intense enemy assault and one of the troop commanders was wounded, Lieutenant Colonel McGowan directed his pilot to land amid hostile fire. He then organized the unit and, when several of the armored personnel carriers sustained direct hits from rocket grenades, carried a stretcher through the bullet-swept area to aid the wounded. To recover the body of a soldier, he raced through the enemy fusillade, passing within ten meters of an active enemy position. After assisting in the casualty evacuation, he guided several vehicles into strategic fighting positions. Returning to his helicopter, he went aloft to lead the ground assault. At one point, while armed only with a .45 caliber pistol, he charged a bunker and killed the occupant. He continued in his heroic manner until the communists were defeated. Lieutenant Colonel McGowan'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. 2282 (June 27, 1969)
  

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Ray D. McGuire, 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 C, 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry, 2d Brigade, 25th Infantry Division. Specialist Four McGuire distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 16 February 1968 as a radio operator during a battalion reconnaissance-in-force mission near Hoc Mon in Gia Dinh Province. His company commenced the operation with a heliborne assault near its objective. The helicopters received such a heavy volume of fire upon reaching the landing zone, that only five made it to the ground. The fusillade became so intense that the committed platoon was ordered to withdraw to permit suppressive fires to be brought against the enemy. Five men were severely wounded and pinned down during this movement. The rest of the company was then landed a short distance away and given the mission of reestablishing contact with the enemy and extracting its own casualties. As the company began its maneuver, it made contact with insurgent troops occupying well-fortified positions, and the enemy opened fire with grenades, automatic weapons and small arms fire. Specialist McGuire, despite the withering fusillade, volunteered to lead a rescue party to aid the wounded. He led eight men across fire-swept rice paddies, until the small group was finally pinned down and could move no further. Proceeding on his own, Specialist McGuire crawled fifty meters through intense enemy fire to reach his fallen comrades. One by one, Specialist McGuire dragged the wounded men back to a safe area from which they were later evacuated. During this entire period, he maintained radio contact with his commander and the helicopter gunships overhead. In order to prevent the enemy from overrunning or flanking his position, Specialist McGuire was forced several times to interrupt his evacuation mission to bring fire on the enemy. He continuously exposed himself to a withering hail of bullets while extracting the wounded, firing on the enemy and adjusting the supporting helicopter fire. His valiant actions and inspirational leadership on the battlefield were decisive factors which prevented annihilation of the trapped casualties at the hands of a numerically superior enemy force. Specialist Four McGuire'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. 3097 (June 28, 1968)
  

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to John J. McHugh, 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 Detachment B-22, Company B, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces. First Lieutenant McHugh distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 30 January 1968 while serving with the Special Forces. A large force of Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army soldiers had taken control of the Qui Nhon radio station complex, and he was making a reconnaissance of their activity. While moving to an advantageous position for observation, he was wounded by fragments from an enemy hand grenade. Refusing to seek medical treatment, he recruited a small force of Vietnamese soldiers from the streets and led an attack through a hail of bullets over a wall into the radio station compound and gained control of one of the buildings. Intense enemy fire wounded him again and, realizing that his troops could not hold their positions much longer, he withdrew to rally reinforcements. After gathering another small force, Lieutenant McHugh launched a second attack on the enemy-held complex. Despite being wounded a third time, he continued leading his gallant assault and seized the ground floor of the radio station. He then returned through savage hostile fire to the streets to solicit more assistance in routing the insurgents. While performing this task, he was intercepted by a medical recovery team and evacuated. First Lieutenant McHugh'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. 697 (February 15, 1968)
  

Home Town: Lansdowne, Pennsylvania

*McKibben, Larry Sims

Citation:

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Larry Sims McKibben, Warrant Officer (W-1), 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 240th Assault Helicopter Company, 214th Combat Aviation Battalion, 12th Aviation Group, 1st Aviation Brigade. Warrant Officer McKibben distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 2 May 1968 as aircraft commander of a helicopter supporting ground operations near Loc Ninh. A small reconnaissance team was pursued by a numerically superior enemy force, and Mister McKibben immediately extracted it. A larger team, replacing the first, was quickly surrounded by two companies of North Vietnamese Army troops and he volunteered to attempt a second extraction mission. At the landing zone a supporting gunship was shot down by the murderous enemy fire. Despite extreme hazard to his safety, Mister McKibben braved the savage fusillade to land and successfully rescue the downed crew. After refueling, he returned to the area and prepared to rescue the ground force. Although he was informed that two helicopters had sustained casualties to their crews attempting pickups during his absence, he fearlessly maneuvered through a hail of fire, reached the landing zone and began loading troops. The enemy force concentrated their full firepower on his craft, but he refused to take off until all survivors were on board. As he prepared to fly out of the landing zone, he was instantly killed by an enemy bullet passing through the cockpit. Warrant Officer McKibben'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. 2883 (June 17, 1968)
  

*McKinsey, Gerald Leroy, Jr.

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Gerald Leroy McKinsey, Jr., Chief Warrant Officer (W-2), 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 282d Assault Helicopter Company, 212th Combat Aviation Battalion, 16th Aviation Group, 1st Aviation Brigade. Chief Warrant Officer McKinsey distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 21 January 1968 as pilot of an assault helicopter on a combat mission near Khe Sanh. When the Hung Hoa district headquarters came under heavy enemy attack, Mister McKinsey volunteered to fly the lead troop transport helicopter because of his familiarity with the area. Gunships fired a preparatory barrage on the landing zone, and he flew in to unload his infantrymen. As the skids touched the ground, North Vietnamese Army soldiers surrounding the landing zone stood up and unleashed a furious barrage on his aircraft from point blank range. His ship was hit by recoilless rifle fire as he attempted to take off, and it crashed in flames. Braving withering fire, Mister McKinsey exited the burning helicopter, took up an exposed position and delivered heavy counterfire on the advancing enemy to cover a comrade attempting to free a body from the wreckage. A rescue helicopter came into the landing zone but was driven off by the enemy fusillade. As the craft departed, its crew chief jumped to the ground and began to maneuver toward Mister McKinsey's downed ship. Disregarding his personal safety, Mister McKinsey gallantly moved into an even more exposed position and covered the soldier's dash to safety. The enemy troops continued their ravaging attack, and he fearlessly fought to hold them off until he was struck and killed by an enemy bullet. Chief Warrant Officer McKinsey'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. 2216 (May 13, 1968)
  

McNamara, Laurence V.

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Laurence V. McNamara, 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 4th Battalion, 41st Regiment, Advisory Team 22, United States Military Assistance Command, Vietnam. Captain McNamara distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions from 13 to 17 April 1971 while serving as a Senior Advisor to the 3d Battalion, 22d Infantry Division (ARVN) during combat operations near Fire Support Base 6. As the South Vietnamese battalion neared its objective, they encountered stiff resistance from a large hostile force firing B-40 rockets, mortars, and automatic weapons. Unhesitantly, Captain McNamara exposed himself to the hostile fusillade as he rallied the allied troops and led them in an assault against the enemy fortifications, successfully dislodging the NVA from their first line of bunkers. During the second charge, Captain McNamara was seriously wounded in both legs while he moved through the heavy enemy fire to direct the allied deployment against the hostile positions. Although unable to walk and despite his wounds, hunger, and exhaustion, he avoided detection by the enemy forces for the next five days. Rescue parties were unable to reach him due to four strong NVA battalions surrounding the location. On 17 April, an allied relief force located Captain McNamara and evacuated him to medical facilities. Captain McNamara'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. 2264-374 (June 29, 1971)
  

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Harold Loyd McNeil, First Lieutenant (Artillery), 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 as Pilot of a UH-1b Helicopter pilot. First Lieutenant McNeil distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 12 August 1964. His 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.