HAYDEN, PHILIP P.
HAYDEN, PHILIP P.
First Lieutenant (Infantry), U.S. Army
Company C, 2d Battalion (Airborne), 503d Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne
Brigade,
Date of Action: February 1, 1967
Citation:
The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Philip
P. Hayden, First Lieutenant (Infantry), U.S. 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
(Airborne), 503d Infantry, 173d Airborne Brigade. First Lieutenant Hayden
distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 1 February 1967 while
serving as rifle platoon leader during a surprise attack by a Viet Cong force
near Phuoc Vinh. The insurgents opened fire with machine guns, rifles and
grenades. The hostile attack was so sudden that four men were wounded forty
meters forward of the friendly perimeter. Lieutenant Hayden unflinchingly ran
through the hostile barrage to his left flank machine gun position which was
receiving the heaviest attack. He immediately reinforced the position with his
own fire and directed his gunners' fire, enabling two of the men outside the
perimeter to crawl into the camp. Completely disregarding his own safety,
Lieutenant Hayden ordered his men to maintain maximum fire and crawled out to
the wounded men. Despite the hail of fire flying over him from two direction, he
managed to et one man back to the safety of the camp. When he returned for the
second man, however, a group of insurgents focused their fire on him and
seriously wounded him. Assuming that they had killed him, five insurgents were
moving closer to the friendly fore when Lieutenant Hayden wounded or killed all
of them. Two of his men then crawled from the perimeter to help him. He told
them to help the other casualty back toward their perimeter, covered their
withdrawal with intense fire, then returned to safety himself. First Lieutenant
Hayden'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.
HQ US Army, Vietnam, General Orders No. 2388 (May 25, 1967)
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