By Direction
of the
President of the United States
the
Distinguished Service Cross
Is Awarded
to
Robert L. Helvey
Rank and Organization: Captain,
Company A, 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile)
Date and Place: 7 January
1968, Republic of Vietnam
Reason: For
extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations involving
conflict with an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam: Captain
Helvey distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 7
January 1968 while serving as a company commander during a search and
destroy mission near Landing Zone Ross in the Que Son Valley. His
company was attacked from well concealed and emplaced positions by an
estimated North Vietnamese Army battalion firing machine guns and
mortars. One platoon was cut off from the rest of the unit.
Captain Helvey sent a call for reinforcements to a sister company and an
armored cavalry troop. Then, with complete disregard for his safety,
he ran to an advantageous but completely exposed position to direct
artillery, aerial rockets and helicopter gunship fire into the massing
North Vietnamese. When the armored personnel carriers and tanks
arrived he directed an assault which enabled his isolated platoon to
rejoin the rest of the unit. The sister company fought through the
enemy lines and the three units formed a defensive perimeter. As the
North Vietnamese were reinforced and increased their supporting heavy
weapons fires, the armored troop’s commander was mortally wounded, and
vital communications equipment destroyed. Captain Helvey personally
led sever counterattacks on the surrounding enemy searching for weaknesses
in their envelopment. Determining that a breakout was imperative, he
again exposed himself to the intense fire to coordinate the maneuver with
all elements. In the breakout the other company commander became a
casualty, and Captain Helvey exposed himself to increasingly heavy fire to
direct that unit’s movement. As he continued the attempted escape,
he led his men through an enemy trench line, fighting off the North
Vietnamese at ranges as close as three feet. He was painfully
wounded in the leg during this action, but he refused medical treatment
for himself to successfully complete his units’ escape, leading them to
the comparative safety of Landing Zone Ross. Captain Helvey’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.
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