The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to Sergeant [then Specialist Fourth Class] Randall Patrick Less (ASN: US-54966680), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam: Specialist Four Less distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 22 September 1968 as a machine gunner during a combat assault on a North Vietnamese Army observation post outside the village of Ha Thanh. His company was pinned down by murderous machine gun, automatic weapons and small arms fire while attempting to assault the enemy position. Specialist Less saw his platoon leader break through two outer barricades and reach a trench line inside the post, only to be pinned down by a blistering fusillade of hostile fire. When North Vietnamese soldiers, moving down another trench, began hurling hand grenades at the trapped man, Specialist Less dashed through the vicious cross fire to help him. Heedless of the danger to his own life, he smashed through a punji stick barrier, and ran across the open compound, while firing his machine gun at the aggressors. As the communists concentrated their fire on him, the platoon leader left the trench and began to attack the bunker. Seeing two grenades thrown from another fortification land within five feet of the platoon leader, Specialist Less made a desperate lunge, grabbed him by the collar and pulled him into the trench just as the grenades exploded. The enemy gunners still had the company pinned down, and were inflicting heavy casualties. Moving out of the trench, Specialist Less set up his machine gun on a small mound and directed suppressive covering fire at the hostile positions which allowed the rest of the unit to advance and make an assault. To cover the company as it moved across the post, he poured hundreds of rounds into the bunkers, while fearlessly ignoring a constant barrage of enemy fire and exploding grenades. Alone and fully exposed to the North Vietnamese barrage, he continued to operate his weapon until mortally wounded. Specialist Less’ extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty, at the cost of his life, were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.