Awards

Distinguished Service Cross

Distinguished Service Cross

Awarded to CPT Boots C. Blanks

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DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
Headquarters, Americal Division
APO San Francisco 96374

GENERAL ORDERS
NUMBER          3417
September 7, 1969

AWARD OF THE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS

1.  TC 320.  The following AWARD is announced.

BLANKS, BOOTS C., XXX-XX-XXXX, CAPTAIN, INFANTRY,
Company C, 3d Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, Americal Division,
Awarded:  Distinguished Service Cross
Date action:  May 12, 1969
Theater:  Republic of Vietnam

Reason: The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Boots C. Blanks, 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 C, 3d Battalion, 1st Infantry, Americal Division. Captain Blanks distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 12 May 1969 while commanding an infantry unit conducting a search and destroy operations. A friendly unit had engaged a well-fortified North Vietnamese force of battalion strength in the hills near the village of Xuan Thanh. While moving in to reinforce their outnumbered sister company, Captain Blanks' troops came under heavy sniper fire. Quickly assessing the enemy's locations, he led his men to flanking positions in the hilly terrain from which they trapped the North Vietnamese in a deadly crossfire. When his own elements were pinned down by strafing machine gun fire, he assaulted the hostile emplacement and eliminated it with bursts of rifle fire and well-placed grenades. The company then pushed deeper into the enemy's foothill fortifications and were again immobilized by intense suppressive fire. Captain Blanks charged the hostile bunker through dense waves of automatic weapons fire. Though severely wounded by the enemy's fire, he rushed onward to the rear where he refused evacuation until he had seen all his wounded men extracted from the battlefield. Captain Blanks' 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.
Authority:   By direction of the President under the provisions of the Act of Congress, approved 9 July 1918.

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An electronic copy of this citation was provided by Leslie Hines, Vietnam Historian for the Americal Division Veterans Association (ADVA). The information for this citation was researched and prepared by Bruce Swander from thousands of orders for Vietnam era Distinguished Service Cross recipients. The ADVA, the Hill 4-11 Association, and the www.hill4-11.org Web site are grateful for this information.

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