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 Ormand B. Crabtree, 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 I (Ranger), 75th Infantry Regiment (Airborne), 1st Infantry Division. Sergeant Crabtree distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 11 and 12 May 1969, while serving as Team Leader of a six-man Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol Operating northeast of Quan Loi Base Camp. On this date, while his team and another six-man team were set up in a rubber plantation, the friendly force observed approximately thirty enemy soldiers moving on all sides of its position. Realizing that he and his men were outnumbered, Sergeant Crabtree directed them to hold their fire and called in and adjusted artillery fire to within fifty meters of his position. Nevertheless, the hostile troops, under the cover of heavy rain, began advancing on the friendly position. Undaunted, Sergeant Crabtree moved his men into three shallow ditches and adjusted artillery to within twenty-five meters of his position. He then directed a team of helicopter gunships in assaulting and neutralizing the enemy force. Early the next morning he observed an enemy soldier approaching the friendly position and engaged and killed him. Later, when ten hostile troops were spotted, Sergeant Crabtree initiated an ambush which resulted in three of the enemy killed and one wounded. However, the other six hostile troops moved to a covered position and began placing intense fire on the friendly force. While leading an element to flank the hostile position, he came under fire from another enemy emplacement. Disregarding the hostile fusillade, Sergeant Crabtree crawled toward the position and eliminated it and its two occupants with hand grenades. Later in the afternoon, four more enemy troops were spotted. While he was leading his element toward the hostile positions, two of his men were wounded by enemy fire. Again disregarding his own safety, Sergeant Crabtree crawled forward and silenced one of the enemy positions with hand grenades. While still under enemy sniper fire, he led the evacuation of the friendly casualties and was the last man to leave the contact area. Although the friendly force was almost out of ammunition when it again came under intense enemy machine gun fire, he directed supporting fire which subdued the enemy, allowing the wounded to be picked up by a helicopter after which he and his men withdrew safely. Sergeant Crabtree’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.