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 Staff Sergeant Donald F. Carr, 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 C, 2d Battalion, 18th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division. Staff Sergeant Carr distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 24 February 1969 while leading an eight-man ambush patrol near the hamlet of Ong Nhieu. After he and his men had established an ambush position, they observed several enemy sampans approaching. By detonating their claymore mines, they killed one communist soldier and captured weapons and documents from his boat. A search of the area revealed other sampans, camouflaged near the river bank. Sergeant Carr set up another ambush position across the stream from the boats, but when no one returned by morning, he decided to search the river craft. Swimming back and forth across the stream, he gathered the boats while his men secured the captured enemy weapons, munitions and documents. Suddenly enemy rounds and rocket-propelled grenades began to rain around Sergeant Carr. As his men assumed defensive positions and returned fire, Sergeant Carr took cover behind the single remaining sampan on the enemy’s side of the river. He then unleashed a barrage on the hostile force. When his ammunition supply was exhausted, he climbed aboard the captured boat and employed weapons from the communist cache. He quickly silenced one enemy position with a rocket grenade, and once his craft had drifted to shore down-stream, he disembarked to engage the hostile emplacements with an AK-47 rifle. When his accurate fusillade cut down four enemy soldiers, the remainder of the enemy fled. Staff Sergeant Carr’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.