By Direction

of the

President of the United States

The

Distinguished Service Cross

Is Awarded

To

Howard E. Beagle

(Posthumously)

Rank and Unit:  Specialist Four, HHC, 3rd Battalion, 60th Infantry, 9th Infantry Division

Date and Place:  11 April 1967,  Republic of Vietnam

Reason:   For extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam:  Specialist Four Beagle distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 11 April 1967 while serving as medical corpsman during a search and destroy mission near Tan An.  Specialist Beagle's unit was crossing dry rice paddies, still 200 meters from it's objective, when a Viet Cong force initiated a barrage of intense fire.  As one of the men fell wounded, Specialist Beagle raced through the hail of fire to his side and began to treat his critical wounds.  Soon another call for medical help was made.  Oblivious of the outburst of fire his movement drew, Specialist Beagle ran 75 meters across the field to the new casualty.  he pulled the soldier to a partially protected position behind a rice paddy dike, but at times was forced to shield the man's body with his own while he treated him.  Since the hostile fire became very intense, he grabbed the wounded man's weapon and tried to silence some of the hostile positions.  When another soldier came to relieve him, he finished his treatment, then ran again across the open paddies to the first casualty.  As medical evacuation helicopters arrived, Specialist Beagle once more crossed the fields of fire to ensure that the wounded men were safely evacuated.  Some of his comrades began to feel the effects of their strenuous exertions in the afternoon heat.  Specialist Beagle assembled them and began to build a shelter to protect them fro the sun.  As he stood up to secure a corner of the shelter, he was mortally wounded.  Specialist Four Beagle extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty, at the cost of his life, were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.