Sergeant First Class Victor C. Underwood, DSC, USA, For extraordinary heroism in Vietnam in March 1966. At that time he was Senior Operations Advisor with an element of the army of the Republic of South Vietnam at Camp A Shau, and on the night of 9 March was asleep in the camp dispensary when a two battalion force of Viet Cong attacked the camp. The insurgent’s mortar, machine gun, and small arms fire caused several Americans to be seriously wounded while attempting to get to their battle positions. Without regard for his own safety, he left his secured position in the face of the deadly insurgent fire to drag the wounded to safer positions and administer first aid. On 10 March 1966, the insurgents launched a heavy attack on the East and North walls of the camp. After several hours of fighting, the insurgents breached the East wall and forced the friendly defenders on the South’ wall to withdraw to the trench lines along the North wall. Sergeant Underwood, who was on the North wall, managed to steady the retreating defenders and encouraged them to maintain such a murderous barrage of fire at the assaulting Viet Cong that it kept the camp from being overrun. After friendly air strikes had been directed at the insurgents along the camp’s southern trenches, Sergeant Underwood took part in a counterattack to retake the South wall. During the action that followed, Sergeant Underwood was seriously wounded in both legs by an insurgent grenade but kept on fighting until the friendly force was ordered to withdraw. When the surviving defenders were ordered to break out of the camp to the north in an attempt at a helicopter rescue, Sergeant Underwood led the contingent, fighting his way yard by yard, and encouraging his comrades to follow. At the rescue site he elected to remain and cover the evacuation of the seriously wounded. Because of this action, Sergeant Underwood and a small group of defenders were forced to evade the Viet Cong for an entire day without food or water in dense jungles until they were rescued by friendly aircraft. During thirty-eight hours of close combat with a fanatical insurgent force and twelve hours of evading the same hostile force in treacherous jungles, Sergeant Underwood was a constant source of inspiration to his American and Vietnamese comrades. Sergeant Underwood’s extraordinary heroism and gallantry in action are in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Army and reflect treat credit upon himself and the military service.

MSG. Underwood resides in Washington State and is a life member.