Captain Luis G. Chirichigno received the Distinguished Service Cross for Extraordinary heroism on November 2, 1969, as Platoon Commander, Aero-Weapons Platoon, Troop B, 7th Squadron, 17th Calvary, while on a reconnaissance mission southwest of Duc Lap, Quang Duc Province, Republic of Vietnam. The citation states that Captain Chirichigno’s platoon of two light observation helicopters and two attack helicopters were searching for an enemy force of at least battalion size. One of the helicopters drew enexpectedly intense enemy fire and sustained excessive structural damage, necessitating a crash landing. Its sister ship followed the damaged aircraft down to extract its wounded crew. While attempting takeoff, the second aircraft also was shot down. All four crewmen were wounded. The downed aircraft had come down in an open field directly in the enemy’s field of fire and subject to the full force of his reactive capability. Captain Chirichigno arrived overhead at the crash scene and with the other remaining airborne helicopter began to deliver suppressive and protective fire upon the enemy but without much success as the enemy fire both at the circling aircraft and the crash scene continued to increase in intensity. To more fully protect his downed companions, Captain Chirichigno moved his aircraft at low speed and altitude to assault the enemy at the tree-top level, destroying at least one machine gun position and its crew and inflicting significant other casualties among the enemy.

Observing that an enemy platoon was advancing to within meters of the crash site, Captain Chirichigno maneuvered his helicopter through the fusillade of ever-increasing enemy fire to hover between the enemy and his comrades. In the presence of devastating enemy fire power and seemingly insurmountable odds and disregarding all personal risk, he challenged the enemy face-to-face at less than 20 meters. He exchanged machine gun and grenade fire with the enemy, killing at least seven of them and forcing the others to withdraw.

Although seriously wounded in the exchange, he remained on station to defend his comrades and meet successive onslaughts until his gunship was silenced by overwhelming enemy firepower. Captain Chirichigno’s exceptional bravery, determination and courage under fire gave his comrades sufficient time to escape the immediate enemy threat and inflicted vastly disproportionate damage upon the enemy in terms of the relative strengths of the opposing forces.

CPT. Chirichigno is a native of Peru and joined the Legion of Valor in 1973.