(Citation Needed) – SYNOPSIS: The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Second Award of the Silver Star to Specialist Fourth Class David William Osborne (ASN: RA-214381638), United States Army, for gallantry in action while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force while serving with Company C, 1st Battalion (Airborne), 12th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, during combat operations in the Republic of Vietnam. Specialist Osborne’s outstanding display of gallantry in action stands in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service, and reflects great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 8, 1918 (amended by act of July 25, 1963), takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Specialist Fourth Class David William Osborne (ASN: RA-214381638), United States Army, for gallantry in action. Specialist Fourth Class Osborne distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 27 December 1966, while serving as a Machine Gunner with Company C, 1st Battalion (Airborne), 12th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, during combat operations in the Republic of Vietnam. Specialist Osborne was manning a machine gun in his company’s defense of artillery positions at a landing zone when the area came under a savage mortar and ground attack by a reinforced North Vietnamese Army battalion. Immediately moving to his bunker, Specialist Osborne began bringing destructive fire on the enemy with his machine gun. When the weapons around him began jamming and his platoon’s casualties mounted, Specialist Osborne held his ground and provided covering fire while his comrades withdrew to a secondary perimeter. Holding the enemy at bay at less than thirty meters at times, Specialist Osborne became a one-man covering force for the medical aidmen who were treating and evacuating the many wounded men behind him. Only after everyone else in his area had withdrawn to the secondary perimeter did Specialist Osborne begin leap-frogging to the rear, providing his own covering fire as he went. Once inside the perimeter, he moved under the intense hostile fire to the point of heaviest contact where his machine gun could bring the most damage on the surging North Vietnamese forces. After the enemy attack was finally repulsed, Specialist Osborne took charge of the counterattack in his area. Racing forward across the fire-swept landing zone, he jumped up on a bunker and began firing from the hip at the startled enemy. With complete disregard for his own safety, he remained on top of the bunker for several minutes until his comrades could forge their way up to his position. Specialist Osborne’s outstanding display of gallantry in action stands in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service, and reflects great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.