The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918 (amended by act of July 25, 1963), takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Sergeant First Class Ernest Lane Fant, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam, while serving with Detachment B-36, Company A, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces. Sergeant First Class Fant distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 10 November 1969, while serving as company commander of a Vietnamese strike force during a search and clear mission in Phuoc Long Province. While sweeping a hillside area, Sergeant Fant’s unit encountered intense rocket, mortar, and machine gun fire from well-concealed enemy bunkers. Seeking to destroy an enemy machine gun bunker directly to his front, Sergeant Fant and two comrades maneuvered to a position where they could accurately fire on the bunker. As they prepared to assault the bunker, the enemy threw a tear gas grenade at their position and forced them to withdraw. Sergeant Fant and his companions exposed themselves to intense enemy fire as they raced across an open rice paddy to return to their unit. Determined to destroy the enemy machine gun bunker, Sergeant Fant reorganized his scattered unit so that they could provide effective fire support for his next assault. Sergeant Fant again threaded his way through the intense enemy fire toward the bunker position. The enemy machine gunner, now fully aware of the impending danger to his position, unleashed a steady concentration of fire toward Sergeant Fant. Escaping the enemy machine gunner’s line of fire, Sergeant Fant threw a grenade through the bunker’s aperture and destroyed the machine gun position. Although Sergeant Fant was now the focal point of enemy attention, he maneuvered to a second bunker and destroyed it in the same manner. Sergeant Fant’s efforts allowed his unit to assume control of the area and soon forced the eventual retreat of the enemy. Sergeant First Class Fant’s extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.