The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918 (amended by act of July 25, 1963), takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to Captain (Infantry) Thomas Peter Mitchell (ASN: 0-94492), 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 Advisory Team 60, 9th Infantry Division Advisory Detachment, IV Corps Advisory Group. Captain Mitchell distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 26 March 1967 while serving a senior advisor to a Vietnamese battalion during a mission to aid a beleaguered unit in Vinh Long Province. Captain Mitchell flew into the besieged landing zone with the first half of a heliborne battalion. Although the area had been recently swept by air strikes to destroy some of the enemy firepower, the helicopters were raked by devastating fire as they touched down. The man sitting next to Captain Mitchell was killed, and he himself was hit in the side of the face by shrapnel. Heedless of his wound, he left the aircraft and urged the Vietnamese Commander to lead his troops toward the woodline containing the Viet Cong fortifications. At this point, another helicopter flew in to pick up a previously downed crew and was hit and crashed. Faced with the decision to take cover behind a dike or enter the hail of fire to rescue the helicopter crew, Captain Mitchell selflessly ignored his own safety and led a small group toward the burning aircraft. With bullets striking all around him, he waded 25 meters through knee-deep mud to where an injured crew member was crawling to safety. Braving the heat of the flames and gas from the burning wreckage, he grabbed him and pulled him to a nearby dike. Captain Mitchell placed himself between the man and the Viet Cong weapons and had dragged him 15 meters when he was struck and killed by an outburst of fire. His gallant sacrifice enabled other men to complete the rescue of the injured crew member. Captain Mitchell’s extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty, at the cost of his life, were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.