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 First Lieutenant (Infantry) Leslie D. Kennedy (ASN: 0-5322546), 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 A, 2d Battalion (Airborne), 502d Infantry, 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division. First Lieutenant Kennedy distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 15 September 1966 while serving as platoon leader of an airborne infantry platoon on a reinforcing mission near Tuy Hoa. When a sister platoon was savagely attacked and pinned down by a numerically superior Viet Cong force firing machine guns and automatic weapons, Lieutenant Kennedy immediately led his platoon to relieve the beleaguered friendly force. Upon arrival at the battle site, his unit made heavy contact with the enemy and was pinned down by intense enemy fire. Lieutenant Kennedy observed a machine gun placing a heavy barrage on his men and began crawling toward its position to destroy the gun. When he had crawled within ten meters of the hostile emplacement, an enemy automatic weapon began firing at him from his left flank. Completely disregarding his own safety, he stood up in the ravaging hail of bullets and charged that position, silencing the weapon and killing two Viet Cong soldiers. The enemy machine gunner detected his actions and immediately unleashed a fierce barrage on him. With bullets striking all around him, he charged across the open battlefield into the face of the enemy weapon and single-handedly destroyed the position and its three occupants with rifle and grenade fire. His fearless leadership inspired his men to spontaneously attack and overrun the determined insurgents, forcing them to flee. First Lieutenant Kennedy’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.