First Sergeant, United States Army, Battery C, 8th Battalion, 6th Artillery, 1st Infantry Division Artillery, 1st Infantry Division: For extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force int he Republic of Vietnam: First Sergeant Whitaker distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 1 November 1968 during a night mortar, rocket and ground attack by a North Vietnamese sapper battalion against Fire Support Base Rita. Although wounded by flying shrapnel, Sergeant Whitaker fearlessly went to his battery’s section of the perimeter and placed intense rifle fire on the communists who had broken through the base’s defenses. He was sounded again when one of the howitzers was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade, but continued to fight the aggressors and engaged two sapper positions simultaneously. Moments after he had obtained additional ammunition from the body of a fallen comrade, he saw a sapper attempting to affix satchel charges to the hull of a howitzer. Sergeant Whitaker emptied his magazine into the communist and ran to the howitzer to drag him away from the gun before he could arm the satchel charges. A comrade was then killed by another sapper, and Sergeant Whitaker continued to expose himself to the hostile fusillade to suppress the sapper’s fire. After re-establishing several defensive bunker positions, he manned a machine gun mounted on one of the howitzers until the attack was repelled. First Sergeant Whitaker’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.