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GENERAL ORDERS NUMBER 7090 |
26 July 1969 |
AWARD OF THE SILVER STAR
1. TC 320. The following AWARD is announced.
ELLIS, GEORGE V, XXX-XX-XXXX, LIEUTENANT COLONEL, INFANTRY
Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3d Battalion, 1st Infantry, 11th
Infantry Brigade APO 96217
Awarded: Silver Star (1st Oak Leaf Cluster)
Date action: 24 May 1969 - 25 May 1969
Theater: Republic of Vietnam
| Reason: | For gallantry in action against an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam, Lieutenant Colonel Ellis distinguished himself by intrepid actions during the period 24 May 1969 to 25 May 1969 while serving as the Commanding Officer, 3d Battalion, 1st Infantry. During that time, Colonel Ellis was leading a combined infantry and cavalry task force in combat operations when it encountered a heavily armed North Vietnamese Army unit. Quickly assessing the tactical situation, Colonel Ellis organized his men and launched an assault on the enemy trenchlines. Due to the speed with which this critical maneuver was carried out, the cavalry vehicles easily overran the enemy bunkers and spider holes, inflicting heavy casualties on the insurgents and capturing a large cache of weapons. Realizing his tactical advantage, Colonel Ellis elected to maintain contact. He immediately deployed his cavalry element to assume blocking positions and prevent the enemy from disengaging. During this movement, the armored personnel carriers came under a devastating volume of fire, causing Colonel Ellis to be thrown from his vehicle. Despite suffering a painful wound, he unhesitatingly remounted and led another assault against the insurgents. At this time, Colonel Ellis deployed his infantrymen, completed an ammunition resupply, and initiated the evacuation of casualties. He then transferred to a Command and Control Helicopter and continued to direct the cordon encircling the enemy. As darkness fell, the desperate enemy soldiers attempted to break contact and flee the area. Observing this action, Colonel Ellis called in additional air support to cut off possible avenues of escape. Throughout the night, he braved hostile anti-aircraft fire, remaining at the site to direct and adjust artillery, mortar, and airstrikes against the North Vietnamese Army soldiers. His courageous actions were instrumental in minimizing casualties among his comrades and in the overall success of the mission. Lieutenant Colonel Ellis' personal heroism, professional competence, and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, the Americal Division, and the United States Army. |
| Authority: | By direction of the President under the provisions of the Act of Congress, approved 9 July 1918. |
Award graphics courtesy of www.military-graphics.com
