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 Dale A. Urban (ASN: RA-16957493), 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 D, 2d Battalion (Airborne), 501st Airborne Infantry Regiment, 2d Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile). Sergeant Urban distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 21 February 1968 as a team leader during an assault by his company against a strongly entrenched enemy force near Hue. As his unit drew near a stream fronting the communists’ strongholds, it was met by rocket and machine gun fire from a series of bunkers lining the opposite shore. The barrage caused the company to halt and take cover, but Sergeant Urban and his squad leader rushed forward in a daring assault through the chest-deep water silencing several positions. When the company advanced deeper into the dense woods, the hostile fire increased from the strategically placed bunkers and fortified villages. The deadly cross fires again caused men to falter and take cover as the casualties mounted. Ignoring the devastating fusillade, Sergeant Urban and his squad leader sprang forward and assaulted several more bunkers with hand grenades, eliminating all resistance. Ahead of them, however, lay a line of four fortifications which were placing fire into the flanks of their unit, effectively halting further advance. Sergeant Urban and his squad leader, in total disregard for their safety, rushed forward and ran along a trench line fronting the bunkers, throwing hand grenades inside and raking the positions with rifle fire as they passed. They killed all the occupants, except for two who staggered out and were captured. Sergeant Urban then rushed another bunker totally destroying it with an incendiary grenade, and began to deliver heavy fire into two more emplacements, one harboring a machine gun. Both of these were soon silenced by his accurate fire. The enemy’s final line of resistance had all but disintegrated, except for sporadic fire which continued from an undetermined location. Sergeant Urban and his squad leader, though unable to spot any movement, quickly estimated the source of the fire to be in some high brush just thirty meters to their front. Putting their rifles on full automatic, the two men sprayed the suspected area and waited for a response. There was no return fire. Suspecting a possible trap, Sergeant Urban courageously crawled forward and found three North Vietnamese officers, killed by rifle fire behind the concealing underbrush. Sergeant Urban’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.