Awards

Distinguished Service Cross

Distinguished Service Cross

Awarded to SP4 Donnie Joe Martin

Page Separator

(Not an Exact Copy)

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

GENERAL ORDERS
NUMBER          1832
May 21, 1969

AWARD OF THE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS

1.  TC 320.  The following AWARD is announced.

MARTIN, DONNIE JOE, XXX-XX-XXXX, SPECIALIST FOURTH CLASS,
Company C, 3d Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, Americal Division,
Awarded:  Distinguished Service Cross
Date action:  March 15, 1969
Theater:  Republic of Vietnam

Reason: The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Donnie Joe Martin, 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, 3d Battalion, 1st Infantry, Americal Division. Specialist Four Martin distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 15 March 1969 during a combat sweep operation near the village of Bich Chieu, in Quang Ngai Province. As his company was struggling through thick underbrush, hedgerows and bamboo, it suddenly came under heavy fire from a well- concealed bunker. Specialist Martin spotted the stronghold and led two comrades on an assault, killing four North Vietnamese soldiers in the position and capturing their weapons. His company continued its advance and made contact with another concealed enemy force. Seeing that one of his men had been seriously wounded and lay trapped under the hostile fusillade, Specialist Martin rushed into the bullet-swept area and carried the man to safety. A short time later, while his unit was again moving through open terrain, the communists sprang an ambush, firing automatic weapons and throwing grenades from three sides. After locating the enemy bunker which was the greatest threat to his element, Specialist Martin jumped a hedgerow and single-handedly assaulted it. During an intense exchange of fire between him and the North Vietnamese soldiers in the fortification, he was mortally wounded. Specialist Four Martin'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.
Authority:   By direction of the President under the provisions of the Act of Congress, approved 9 July 1918.

Page Separator

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.

Page Separator

Main Page

Page Separator

Award graphics courtesy of The Institute of Heraldry

Page Separator

Validated by HTML Validator (based on Tidy)

Valid XHTML 1.0 Transitional