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 Douglas R. Dolbin, 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, 1st Battalion, 23d Infantry, 25th Infantry Division. Sergeant Dolbin distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 22 October 1966 while serving with a company being evacuated from a combat zone. When his helicopter was shot down, Sergeant Dolbin, while receiving intense hostile fire, moved the wounded pilots to safety. He organized his squad members to form a defensive perimeter, then crossed an open rice paddy to prevent the insurgents from boarding another downed aircraft. After treating the wounded, Sergeant Dolbin took a machine gun and climbed to the top of the cockpit. From there, while clearly outlined and an easy target for the Viet Cong, he placed effective fire on the insurgents. When several insurgents entered another helicopter, he killed two of them with his first burst of fire. However, their return fire hit his equipment and knocked him off of the cockpit. Undaunted, he returned to this previous position and engaged the enemy. Again, he was knocked down by hostile fire into a rice paddy. Again, he returned to his perch. After the initial assaults were repulsed, Sergeant Dolbin took a position on his unit’s perimeter and, while standing in waist deep water, maintained his vigil through the night. Sergeant Dolbin’s extraordinary heroism was in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflects great credit upon himself, his unit and United States Army.