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 Floyd Eugene Winland, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam. Sergeant First Class Winland distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions from 5 April to 8 April 1972 while serving as an Infantry Light Weapons Advisor to the 52d Infantry Regimental Task Force, 18th Division, Army of the Republic of Vietnam, United States Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, Advisory Team 87. From 5 to 7 April the 52d Regimental Task Force was subjected to indirect enemy attacks on their firebases in Binh Long Province. On 7 April the enemy launched a determined ground attack on the beleaguered position. Sergeant Winland exposed himself to the withering enemy fire in order to move a critically wounded Vietnamese soldier to a position of safety and to administer first aid. While moving the wounded man, he sustained mortar fragment wounds in the leg. When the Task Force withdrew from the firebase, he assisted and encouraged the wounded soldiers, sharing his own limited water supply with those in need. When his Senior Battalion Liaison Officer and a number of Vietnamese soldiers became seriously wounded, Sergeant Winland remained in a dangerously exposed position to attempt an airlift of the wounded personnel although three attempts were repulsed by a fusillade of enemy ground fire. Over 300 enemy mortar rounds and rockets were directed against Sergeant Winland’s position that day. Throughout the night he assisted the Senior Advisor in placing tactical air strikes and helicopter gunships to protect their position. The next morning he personally eliminated an attack by an enemy force to overrun their position and directed a larger enemy force into the defensive fire of an armed aircraft. While being extracted by aircraft, Sergeant Winland suffered numerous fragment wounds in the face and severe penetration wounds in both hands. His personal heroism was directly responsible for sparing numerous personnel from injury and possible death while inflicting numerous casualties on the enemy. Sergeant First Class Winland’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.