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 Captain (Infantry) Craig H. Boice (ASN: 0-5315188), 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 Company B, 3d Battalion, 47th Infantry, 2d Brigade, 9th Infantry Division. Captain Boice distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 14 February 1968 during a reconnaissance-in-force operation three kilometers southwest of Can Tho in Phong Dinh Province. When elements of his company came under a ground attack, Captain Boice dashed forward through the bullet-swept area to a dike-line. Despite a heavy volume of automatic weapons fire cracking above his head and splattering a few feet to his front, he exposed himself to hurl grenades at the communist positions, silencing one automatic weapon and killing five Viet Cong. Crawling forward to a vantage point, he then directed gun ship attacks on an enemy rocket position only twenty-five meters to his front, successfully destroying the weapon. During a second assault by the communists, he shot four Viet Cong as they rushed his position. Then directing artillery fire to within fifty meters of his forward and flank positions, he repulsed the attack and nine more aggressors were killed. After a third assault had been repelled as darkness approached, Captain Boice requested an ambulance helicopter. When the ship landed it came under a deadly hail of small arms fire. Realizing that the craft would be forced to take off immediately, he picked up the most seriously wounded man and, crossing through the hostile fusillade, placed him aboard. Once he had moved the remaining casualties back within the perimeter to await evacuation in daylight, he continued to direct artillery fire until the Viet Cong withdrew. Captain Boice’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.