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 Sergeant Larry Douglas King (ASN: US-54665460), 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, 2d Battalion (Mechanized), 22d Infantry, 3d Brigade, 25th Infantry Division. Sergeant King distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 4 February 1968 while on an ambush patrol in the Michelin rubber plantation. A Viet Cong force moved into the patrol’s ambush late at night. When the enemy were in range, Sergeant King fired two claymore mines into the insurgents, inflicting several casualties. The enemy quickly returned savage fire on the patrol, and Sergeant King braved the fusillade to move among his men and direct their fire. Seeing his machine gunner hit, he moved through a hail of bullets and carried the wounded soldier to safety. When a relief column of armored personnel carriers reached the raging firefight, he leaped atop the lead vehicle and directed its machine gun fire into the Viet Cong positions. The hostile fire mounted in intensity, and the personnel carrier’s machine gunner was wounded. Completely disregarding his personal safety, Sergeant King moved to the front of the vehicle and delivered devastating fire on the insurgents with his own machine gun. He was mortally wounded by a Viet Cong rocket while fearlessly engaging a numerically superior enemy force in close combat. Sergeant King’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.