HEADQUARTERS
US ARMY
Washington, DC
31 July 1968
GENERAL ORDERS
NUMBER 38
AWARD OF THE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS
1. TC 320. The following AWARD is announced posthumously.
SKAGGS, LONNIE G. Specialist Fourth Class, U. S. Army
Company A, 2d Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division
| Awarded: |
Distinguished Service Cross |
| Date action: |
27 April 1967 |
| Theater: |
Republic of Vietnam |
| Reason: |
The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Lonnie G. Skaggs, Specialist Fourth Class, 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 A, 2d Battalion, 28th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division. Specialist Four Skaggs distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 27 April 1967, near Ben Luc, Republic of Vietnam. Specialist Skaggs was serving as a machine gunner on a search and destroy mission when his company was suddenly engaged by a hostile force. Seeing that the point man was instantly wounded, Specialist Skaggs moved quickly to the front and engaged the enemy allowing the company medic to move to the wounded man's aid. Under the covering fire of Specialist Skaggs, the company began withdrawing to allow artillery and airstrikes on the hostile positions. Exhausting his supply of ammunition, Specialist Skaggs called for an additional supply. When he was resupplied, Specialist Skaggs moved forward and exposed himself to the heaviest enemy fire by standing on top of a bunker, and continued placing suppressive fire on the hostile forces until all wounded were evacuated and the entire company had withdrawn. When the artillery fire and air strikes were completed, the company started back to the battle area. Specialist Skaggs volunteered for point man on the return trip. Moving into the battle area, the company was again engaged with heavy automatic weapons fire and command-detonated Claymore mines. Four men were wounded in the first few moments from a well-emplaced Viet Cong machinegun. Realizing that the Viet Cot machinegun position had the wounded pinned down and also was keeping medics from giving aid, Specialist Skaggs immediately assaulted the Viet Cong position, continuously firing his machinegun. On the verge of overrunning the hostile position, Specialist Skaggs was mortally wounded. Before succumbing to his wounds, Specialist Skaggs thrust his machinegun forward in such a manner as to insure it would continue to fire on the hostile position until the supply of ammunition was exhausted. This final heroic act resulted in the complete elimination of the Viet Cong position, enabled the friendly forces to evacuate the wounded without sustaining heavier casualties and undoubtedly saved the lives of many men of Company A. Specialist Skagg's extraordinary heroism and intrepidity at the risk of his life, above and beyond the call of duty, were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Army and reflect great credit upon himself, and the Armed Forces of his country.
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