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 Staff Sergeant Gernot Bender (ASN: RA-51414267), 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 Troop A, 3d Squadron, 4th Cavalry, 25th Infantry Division. Staff Sergeant Bender distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 25 March 1969 in Hau Nghai Province on a mission to engage an enemy force which had ambushed the Dau Tieng convoy. Reaching the ambush site, his troop found the aggressors had moved to a new hiding place, and the squadron and troop commander had advanced alone to reconnoiter. When firing was heard, Sergeant Bender immediately drove his tank to the aid of the two officers. Seeing that they were pinned down by a machine gun bunker, he silenced the emplacement with his main gun and then spearheaded an assault as the rest of his unit followed. Intense hostile fire wounded several men and a rocket-propelled grenade scored a direct hit on an armored personnel carrier. Sergeant Bender moved to secure the carrier and provide covering fire while the casualties were rescued, throwing grenades and firing his rifle after his vehicle’s weapons became inoperative. He then pulled back to a defensive position where he placed suppressive fire during the evacuation of the wounded, re-supplied his element with ammunition, and repaired his weapons which had malfunctioned. As his troop again moved forward, he assaulted a machine gun bunker, destroying it and killing its occupants, and then engaged and destroyed a rocket-propelled grenade team that exposed itself to fire on one of the carriers. Second later his vehicle was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade, seriously wounding him in the leg. Ignoring his wounds, he continued to fight, thus allowing the lesser wounded to be evacuated to safety. Soon Sergeant Bender collapsed as his own injuries proved fatal. Staff Sergeant Bender’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.