The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to First Lieutenant [then Second Lieutenant] Albert J. Lankford, III (MCSN: 0-106303), United States Marine Corps Reserve, for extraordinary heroism while serving as a Platoon Commander with Company G, Second Battalion, Ninth Marines, THIRD Marine Division (Reinforced), Fleet Marine Force, in connection with combat operations against the enemy in the Republic of Vietnam. During the early morning hours of 21 April 1969, while occupying a night observation position, Company G came under a ground attack by a large North Vietnamese Army force. During the initial moments of the assault, enemy sappers succeeded in penetrating the defensive perimeter and attempting to destroy the command post with satchel charges. By shouting to attract the attention of the enemy soldiers and thereby determine the area of their heaviest concentration, First Lieutenant Lankford became an excellent target for intense hostile fire. Heedless of the rounds impacting near him, he directed the suppressive fire of nearby Marines at the soldiers, then maneuvered across the hazardous terrain to the command post, where he mustered a group of men and launched an attack against the approaching sappers. As the North Vietnamese Army force swarmed against the defensive perimeter seeking a means of penetration, First Lieutenant Lankford saw an opportunity to seize the initiative and, rallying his exhausted men, led them in a counterattack. When the Marine beside him fell to the ground seriously wounded, First Lieutenant Lankford picked him up and, seemingly oblivious to the fire raking the area, carried him to a covered position. His heroic and determined actions inspired all who observed him and were instrumental in the defeat of a determined and numerically superior enemy force. By his courage, dynamic leadership, and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of grave personal danger, First Lieutenant Lankford upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service.