CAPTAIN RUDOLPH L. WHITEHEAD, for extraordinary heroism in Vietnam. Shortly after midnight on 15 July 1967, his unit was savagely hit by an intense mortar barrage followed by a heavy ground attack with enemy forces firing rockets, recoilless rifles, machine guns and rifle grenades. After two of his armored personnel carriers were destroyed in the fierce assault, Lieutenant Whitehead ordered the remaining vehicles to lay down intense fire and cover the movement of his men to defensive positions. He saw the machine gunner on one of his personnel carriers receive a serious wound and immediately dashed into the open and carried the man to safety. With a hail of bullets striking around him, he climbed into the machine gun cupola himself and directed heavy fire on the finatical insurgents. Shrapnel from a rocket round knocked him from the vehicle, but he ignored his wounds and climbed back to continue his accurate fire. Rocket and recoilless rifle rounds simultaneously struck his position, seriously wounding him and destroying his gun. Realizing the true-strength and determination of the attackers, he ordered his men to withdraw to a more defensible location. Completely disregarding his own safety, he moved among his men under a curtain of fire and rallied them to repel repeated enemy assaults until reinforcing units arrived. First Lieutenant Whitehead’s extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Army.

CPT Whitehead joined the Legion of Valor in 1971 and resides in Colorado.