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 (Infantry) Rudolph Lewis Whitehead (ASN: 0-5329853), 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 A, 2d Battalion, 22d Infantry, 3d Brigade, 25th Infantry Division. First Lieutenant Whitehead distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 15 July 1967 while serving as platoon leader of a mechanized infantry platoon on a road securing mission between Dau Tieng and Tay Ninh. Shortly after midnight, his unit was savagely hit by an intense mortar barrage followed by a heavy ground attack with enemy forces firing rockets, recoilless rifles, machine guns and rifle grenades. After two of his armored personnel carriers were destroyed in the fierce assault, Lieutenant Whitehead ordered the remaining vehicles to lay down intense fire and cover the movement of his men to defensive positions. He saw the machine gunner on one of his personnel carriers receive a serious wound and immediately dashed into the open and carried the man to safety. With a hail of bullets striking around him, he climbed into the machine gun cupola himself and directed heavy fire on the fanatical insurgents. Shrapnel from a rocket round knocked him from the vehicle, but he ignored his wounds and climbed back to continue his accurate fire. Rocket and recoilless rifle rounds simultaneously struck his position, seriously wounding him and destroying his gun. Realizing the true-strength and determination of the attackers, he ordered his men to withdraw to a more defensible location. Completely disregarding his own safety, he moved among his men under a curtain of fire and rallied them to repel repeated enemy assaults until reinforcing units arrived. First Lieutenant Whitehead’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.