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AWARD THREE DSCS FOR EXCEPTIONAL VALOR FROM THE SOUTHERN CROSS FOR OCTOBER 27, 1968.

Electronic copy of article provided by Leslie Hines


LZ BRONCO â€” Three Americal Div. soldiers were awarded our nation's second highest decoration for valor in a special ceremony recently at the 11th Inf. Bde. base camp at Duc Pho.

MAJ Patrick M. Trinkle, operations officer of the 3rd Bn., 1st Inf., and 1LT Douglas M. Falck of A Co., 1st Bn., 20th Inf., both of the 11th Inf. Bde., and PSG Artenio Romero, Jr., of the 198th Bde.'s 1st Bn., 6th Inf., received the Distinguished Service Cross.

GEN Andrew J. Goodpaster, deputy commanding general of the U.S. Army, Vietnam, made the presentation.

MAJ Trinkle's Award

MAJ Trinkle (Cornwall, N.Y.), then a captain and commanding officer of A Co., 3rd Bn., 1st Inf., was honored for exceptionally valorous actions on Feb. 23, 1968, while leading his company on a search and clear operation near the coastal village of My Lai, five miles northeast of Quang Ngai City.

When A Co. began receiving heavy automatic weapons fire from a numerically superior force MAJ Trinkle braved the hail of fire t o call in air and artillery strikes and helicopter gunship support.

Later, the major spotted one of his men wounded and trapped in the open. Although seriously wounded himself, he began moving through intense enemy fire to the wounded man's aid, along the way killing an enemy sniper who was firing on them.

After carrying the casualty to safety, MAJ Trinkle refused medical aid for himself and directed the attack in which his men overran the enemy positions. His citation reads in part: "His gallant actions in the heat of battle inspired his men to fight furiously and overwhelm the hostile enemy forces."


An original copy of this document was donated to the Americal Division Veterans Association (ADVA) by LTC Paul Parham who served as Information Officer for the Americal Division.

Award Three DSCs For Exceptional Valor from the Southern Cross for October 27, 1968.: List
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