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 James O. Woods (ASN: US-52632669), 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, 8th Infantry, 4th Infantry Division. Sergeant Woods distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 22 March 1967 while serving with an infantry company during an attack by a numerically superior Viet Cong force near the Cambodian border. Heedless of hostile fire which was raking positions of his units, Sergeant Woods ran from man to man in the defensive line to offer encouragement and direct their fire and movement. When medics ran out of first aid supplies, he unhesitatingly moved beyond the defensive perimeter to gather first aid packets from discarded equipment in the field. He was pinned down by outbursts of hostile fire many times, but dauntlessly continued until he had gathered all of the extra supplies available. At one point, Sergeant Woods spotted a small group of insurgents moving toward a small rise from which they would gain a firing advantage on the friendly force. He again left the perimeter to cut them off and placed himself between the enemy and his men. As they appeared out of the undergrowth, he killed all of them before they could inflict any casualties on his platoon. When he discovered that his platoon had been separated from the rest of the company, Sergeant Woods once again left the safety of his unit’s perimeter to cut a path through the thick vegetation to the company’s position. He then returned to his men and used the trail to move the wounded to a helicopter landing zone for evacuation. His courageous leadership throughout the firefight enabled his men to repulse the overwhelmingly larger hostile force and inflict numerous casualties on the insurgents. Sergeant Woods’ 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.