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 Captain (Infantry), [then First Lieutenant] Albert Clark Welch, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action against the enemy on 17 October 1967, near Chon Thanh, Binh Long Province, Republic of Vietnam, while serving with Company D, 2d Battalion, 28th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division. First Lieutenant Welch’s company was moving behind Company A, 2d Battalion, 28th Infantry into an enemy base camp. After two hours of cautious movement, Company A was devastated by withering enemy small arms, grenade and machine gun fire, killing Company A’s platoon leaders and seriously wounding the company commander. First Lieutenant Welch rapidly directed a perimeter defense around the Command Group and raced forward to ensure that his forward elements were tied in with Company A’s rear elements. As he approached through heavy enemy fire he received a wound to the chest but succeeded in bringing several wounded soldiers from Company A back into his company’s perimeter. He ran to his men to encourage and direct their fire. Ignoring sniper fire from the trees, he cannibalized damaged radios to call for artillery fire, close to and on to his position, while carefully avoiding the area where the dead and wounded were lying. Seeing an enemy rocket propelled grenade being launched against the Command Group, he raced forward through both enemy and friendly fire and killed the enemy soldier, receiving a serious wound to his left arm. With his sidearm, he killed another enemy soldier who had penetrated the company’s perimeter. Exhausted, he slumped to the ground. His first sergeant called to him that enemy soldiers were executing American wounded. He again rose to his feet, raced forward, and killed two more enemy soldiers, then fell unconscious but still alive from five battle wounds and loss of blood. First Lieutenant Welch’s heroism, care for his men, personal fighting skills and leadership epitomized the actions of an infantry leader in close combat against an overwhelming enemy force. First Lieutenant Welch’s actions reflect great credit upon himself, the 1st Infantry Division, the United States Army, and the United States of America.