- SURNAME
Jaeger
- FORENAME
Thomas W.
- UNIT
5th SF Group (Airborne) (DSC), 7 SF Group (Company A) (SS)
- RANK
First Lieutenant (DSC), Captain (SS)
- NUMBER
0-5337104
- AWARD
Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star
- PLACE
Vietnam 1968 (DSC), North Vietnam 1970 (Son Tay) (SS)
- ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
CITATION:
Distinguished Service Cross : The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918 (amended by act of July 25, 1963), takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Captain (Infantry), [then First Lieutenant] Thomas W. Jaeger (ASN: 0-5337104), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam, while serving with Command and Control Detachment (Central), 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces. Captain Jaeger distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions from 15 to 19 November 1968 as platoon leader and later as commander of a company consisting primarily of American-led Vietnamese paramilitary personnel during a reconnaissance-in-force operation deep within enemy territory. On the night of the fifteenth, a numerically superior North Vietnamese Army force attacked with rifle grenade and automatic weapons fire, immediately causing six casualties. Braving the deadly fusillade, Captain Jaeger crawled to a seriously injured man and administered first aid. He next moved from position to position, encouraging his troops, treating their wounds, and calling in air strikes which forced the North Vietnamese to withdraw. Late in the afternoon of the eighteenth, the unit was ambushed by two enemy companies. Captain Jaeger, who had been placed in charge of his company on the sixteenth, quickly called for air support. Seeing a wounded Vietnamese soldier twenty meters away, he ran through a hail of bullets and administered life saving treatment. When he was told that one of his platoon leaders had been critically wounded, he crossed forty meters through a hail of bullets to assist the officer. He then directed air strikes within ten meters of his position to allow an ambulance helicopter to land, but the ship was hit by hostile fire and crashed in flames. Although he had been wounded by grenade shrapnel, Captain Jaeger ran to the aircraft with two other men and helped rescue the downed crew moments before the ship exploded. After assisting one of the injured men to his unit's perimeter, he again called in air strikes which enabled helicopters to evacuate the more seriously wounded. Realizing the enemy would probably try to overrun his company during the night, he continued to direct air strikes for fourteen hours, preventing the communists from massing for an attack and enabling his men to be extracted the next morning. Captain Jaeger'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.
Silver Star : The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 8, 1918 (amended by act of July 25, 1963), takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Captain (Infantry) Thomas W. Jaeger (ASN: 0-5337104), United States Army, for gallantry in action on 21 November 1970 as a member of an all-volunteer joint U.S. Army and Air Force raiding force in the Joint Chiefs of Staff-directed heliborne assault mission to rescue United States military personnel held as prisoners of war at Son Tay prison in North Vietnam. This valiant effort was motivated by deep compassion for his imprisoned fellow men-at-arms, and by a strong sense of military duty and national pride. Immediately after debarking from the assault helicopter inside the compound, Captain Jaeger led his element to the east wall near the gate, firing his weapon into the guard billets and eliminating that serious threat. He then maneuvered to the gate tower, where the enemy soldiers made a desperate attempt to regain their position only to be rendered ineffective by Captain Jaeger's men. He then calmly and efficiently performed his mission of clearing the largest building of enemy personnel. Constantly exposed to heavy enemy fire, he began moving vigorously from position to position within the compound, clearing his sector of all enemy personnel. Captain Jaeger's conscious disregard for his personal safety, extraordinary heroism against an armed hostile force, and extreme devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit on himself and the United States Army.
Silver Star : The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 8, 1918 (amended by act of July 25, 1963), takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Captain (Infantry) Thomas W. Jaeger (ASN: 0-5337104), United States Army, for gallantry in action on 21 November 1970 as a member of an all-volunteer joint U.S. Army and Air Force raiding force in the Joint Chiefs of Staff-directed heliborne assault mission to rescue United States military personnel held as prisoners of war at Son Tay prison in North Vietnam. This valiant effort was motivated by deep compassion for his imprisoned fellow men-at-arms, and by a strong sense of military duty and national pride. Immediately after debarking from the assault helicopter inside the compound, Captain Jaeger led his element to the east wall near the gate, firing his weapon into the guard billets and eliminating that serious threat. He then maneuvered to the gate tower, where the enemy soldiers made a desperate attempt to regain their position only to be rendered ineffective by Captain Jaeger's men. He then calmly and efficiently performed his mission of clearing the largest building of enemy personnel. Constantly exposed to heavy enemy fire, he began moving vigorously from position to position within the compound, clearing his sector of all enemy personnel. Captain Jaeger's conscious disregard for his personal safety, extraordinary heroism against an armed hostile force, and extreme devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit on himself and the United States Army.
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