- SURNAME
Wilson
- FORENAME
Gerald Lee
- UNIT
5 SF Group (Company B,Det B-20) (5 M.S.F.C.)
- RANK
Staff Sergeant
- NUMBER
14718110
- AWARD
Distinguished Service Cross
- PLACE
South Vietnam 1969
- ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
KIA - see Roll of Honour
ROLL OF HONOUR:
https://www.specialforcesroh.com/index.php?threads/wilson-gerald-lee.9287/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 pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to Staff Sergeant Gerald Lee Wilson (ASN: RA-14718110), 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 Detachment B-20, Company B, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces. Staff Sergeant Wilson distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 21 May 1969 while serving as Commander of a Mobile Strike Force Company involved in a search and clear mission near the Ben Het Special Forces Camp in the rugged Central Highlands. At dawn the unit came under fierce hostile attack and began receiving countless mortar and rocket rounds. Moving to an exposed position of the defensive perimeter, Sergeant Wilson began to call in artillery barrages on the enemy. When another American advisor was wounded by small arms fire, Sergeant Wilson dragged him to the safety of a bomb crater to treat his wounds. He then returned to call in bombardment and was knocked to the ground by enemy fire. Realizing that many of his company were withdrawing from the vicious assault, he ignored his wounds and rallied his men in a counterattack which succeeded in pushing the assailants back. After retaking the company's position, he continued to expose himself to enemy fire while moving from position to position pointing out the location of enemy soldiers. In the process of calling in artillery to silence the enemy, he was mortally wounded by an enemy small arms round. Staff Sergeant Wilson's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty, at the cost of his life, were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.
WEB LINKS:
• https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/5321FINDAGRAVE:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/23450480/gerald-lee-wilson
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