Captain Michael B. Ranger, was granted the Distinguished Servic Cross for his extraordinary heroism while with E Co., 1st Battalion, 12 Infantry, 4th Infantry Division during the period, with eight men, he engaged a massed enemy force and aborted their attack. Captain Ranger met the charge of the enemy and killed two of them with rifle fire, knocking out a machine-gun position and carrying a wounded soldier back to the patrol base. While directing airstrikes, artillery and gunships, he was wounded and blown into the air by an enemy mortar round which landed at his feet. Despite painful wounds in his leg and arm he refused medical attention and continued to control supporting fires and directing the actions of his platoon. In the early hours of 5 March and estimated North Vietnamese Army Battalion launched a human wave assault against the platoon which by this time consisted of only fourteen men. Under a rain of rockets and mortars the enemy moved on the platoon and Captain Ranger called in six batteries of artillery and then firecracker rounds on his own position as the enemy force entered the perimeter. Throwing hand grenades, Captain Ranger killed two North Vietnamese soldiers in front of his position and three more on top of his bunker. The following day while the patrol base was receiving small arms and mortar fire, Captain Ranger killed four snipers in the trees and two North Vietnamese soldiers in bunkers while sustaining wounds on his arm. He then directed airstrikes and artillery into the remaining enemy while his troops were being extracted from the landing zone and refused to leave the gound until all of his men were aboard the helicopters. Captain Ranger’s decisiveness, vigorous leadership, sound judgement and personal bravery instilled courage and determination into his platoon enabling them to hold off and destroy a superior enemy force. Captain Ranger’s conspicuous gallanty and extraordinary heroism are in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Army and reflect great credit on him and the military service.

CPT. Ranger joined the Legion of Valor in 1974.