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 First Lieutenant Vernon L. Klinger, Jr., 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 Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 52d Combat Aviation Battalion, 1st Aviation Brigade. First Lieutenant Klinger distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 22 May 1969 while leading a four-man Pathfinder team near Dak To. His team was inserted into enemy-held Landing Zone Yankee as advance guard for troops to be inserted later. When the helicopter carrying the team landed it immediately came under volleys of hostile fire wounding the crew chief and killing the pilot and two Vietnamese scouts. As Lieutenant Klinger led his team out of the helicopter into the volleys of automatic weapons fire, he observed four enemy charging the craft and eliminated them with rifle fire. As the damaged helicopter lifted out of the landing zone, Lieutenant Klinger led his greatly outnumbered men to a nearby bomb crater. He and his team killed four more enemy soldiers en route to the crater. Using the short respite this rapid maneuver had gained, Lieutenant Klinger positioned his men to cover all sides of the crater. As the enemy drew the trap tighter, he was wounded in the leg by hand grenade fragments, but he continued to fire his rifle and radioed for helicopter gunship support. Frequently during the next hour, Lieutenant Klinger exposed himself to the enemy fire to direct better the gunship and tactical fighter-bomber strikes against the determined attackers. His guidance was so precise that 750-pound bombs impacted only fifty meters from his position. Twice the team was given up for dead by crews of the aircraft overhead, but Lieutenant Klinger continued to inspire his team to repel the enemy. When reinforcements arrived, he directed his men in providing suppressive fire for the troop helicopters. With the arrival of the reinforcements the enemy withdrew, leaving the bodies of forty-one dead around the crater defended by the team. First Lieutenant Klinger’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.