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 Chief Warrant Officer (WO-2) Ronald Leroy Tusi, 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 Battery F (AFA), 79th Artillery Regiment, 3d Brigade (Separate) 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile). Chief Warrant Officer Tusi distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 15 April 1972 while serving as pilot of a Cobra helicopter gunship in support of Vietnamese forces defending An Loc, the provincial capital of Binh Long Province. Outnumbered by three enemy divisions and more than 20 enemy tanks, the defenders at An Loc were forced to withdraw to a small area where the 5th Army of the Republic of Vietnam Division Headquarters was located. Heavy tactical air support was urgently needed to halt the attack, but its use was denied because of the grave danger it posed to civilians who were being held hostage by the enemy and hundreds of soldiers who had been pinned down by the enemy tanks. Confident in his ability to provide protective firepower with pinpoint accuracy, Chief Warrant Officer Tusi committed himself to the battle. Despite extremely intense anti-aircraft fire, he launched a solo attack against the threatening enemy force by flying through anti-aircraft explosions that enveloped his gunship in smoke and personally destroyed four enemy tanks and damaged another. His devastating rocket attacks forced the remaining tanks to seek cover, and enabled Army of the Republic of Vietnam infantrymen to destroy all but two of the remaining enemy tanks. After halting the armor just meters short of their objective, chief Warrant Officer Tusi engaged the enemy infantry and forced scores to retreat from their attacks. Chief Warrant Officer Tusi’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.