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 Master Sergeant William Coleman Ledbetter, 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 Detachment B-20, Company B, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces. Master Sergeant Ledbetter distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions from 16 to 19 May 1970 while advising a Vietnamese mobile strike force element during search and clear operations in Kontum Province. After six days of searching for suspected enemy activity in mountainous jungle terrain surrounding Dak Seang Special Forces camp, an element of the mobile strike force came into contact with a large, well-entrenched enemy force. Reacting immediately, Sergeant Ledbetter led a group of reinforcements to the contact area to support the embattled allies. During the ensuing engagement, the sergeant crawled twenty-five meters across fire swept terrain to rescue a seriously wounded comrade. After contact was broken, Sergeant Ledbetter deployed his men to a night defensive position and directed the helicopter evacuation of the wounded. The following morning, the enemy launched an intense attack on the allied position that lasted for over two days. Throughout this attack, Sergeant Ledbetter exposed himself to intense enemy fire in order to personally direct the defensive efforts of his men. During the violent enemy ground assaults that characterized the attack, the sergeant was continuously at the point of heaviest contact encouraging his men and engaging the enemy with all resources available to him. When the allies ran perilously low on ammunition, Sergeant Ledbetter directed a helicopter re-supply operation and exposed himself to intense hostile fire in order to unload and distribute the ammunition to his men. On the final day of contact, the allies broke through the enemy encirclement and Sergeant Ledbetter assumed rear security responsibilities. Directing allied artillery strikes to within thirty meters of his position, the sergeant held the enemy at bay while his men moved toward Camp Dak Seang. Then, when the lead allied element was contacted by another enemy force, the sergeant skillfully maneuvered his men around the enemy’s flank in order to reach the safety of the Special Forces camp. Master Sergeant Ledbetter’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.