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 William Francis Kelley, 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 D, 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry, 11th Infantry Brigade, Americal Division. Staff Sergeant Kelley distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 31 May 1969 during reconnaissance-in-force operations near Tap An Nam. Supported by a troop of armored personnel carriers, his unit was dispatched to outflank a North Vietnamese force that had immobilized a sister unit with heavy suppressive fire. As the reinforcements advanced through open rice paddies, they were suddenly fired upon from a hedgerow to their front. Sergeant Kelley boldly dashed to the hedgerow and attacked the hidden enemy with numerous grenades and devastating rifle fire. His lone assault repelled the enemy troops and permitted the friendly force to break through the vegetation and advance on the main enemy body occupying an abandoned hamlet nearby. Having rearmed himself with grenades, Sergeant Kelley crawled within feet of a hostile trenchline and dropped a grenade on its unsuspecting defenders. Although stunned by the ensuing blast, he quickly rose to his feet and emptied his rifle on the survivors. Then observing that enemy soldiers manning an emplacement some sixty meters distant were placing harassing fire on his unit, he charged the position under heavy fire and, firing his weapon on the run, eliminated their resistance. Staff Sergeant Kelley’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.