Elliot P. Sydnor, Jr.

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Elliot P. Sydnor, Jr., Lieutenant Colonel (Infantry), U.S. Army, for extraordinary gallantry in action on 21 November 1970. Colonel Sydnor volunteered to command an all-volunteer raiding force organized to conduct a heliborne assault in an heroic attempt to rescue United States personnel being held as prisoners of war at the Son Tay prison in North Vietnam. Colonel Sydnor displayed outstanding leadership and personal courage as he personally directed the assault on the compound and the withdrawal of the entire raiding force. Colonel Sydnor’s masterful command and control of the operation under the most hazardous combat conditions was exemplary. His keen mind and alertness to the constantly changing situation enabled him to effectively direct and control the actions of the joint assault force air and ground elements and maneuver them as the situation required. In order to maintain the critical control required over the complex raid operation, Colonel Sydnor unhesitatingly and fearlessly exposed himself time and time again to the enemy’s small arms and automatic weapons fire. When the withdrawal began, Colonel Sydnor, with utter disregard for his personal safety, constantly stood fully exposed in the helicopter landing zone in order to direct the withdrawal and insure that not one man was unwittingly left behind. The success of the mission was directly attributed to his dynamic and fearless leadership and to the heroic example he set for his officers and men. The degree of his valorous action was further accentuated by his prior knowledge of the location of the prison compound–eighteen kilometers from the capital city of North Vietnam. Knowing full well the enemy forces were armed with automatic weapons and the target area saturated with enemy installations, high performance aircraft, and antiaircraft defenses; Colonel Sydnor’s premeditated personal risk, extraordinary heroism against an armed hostile force, and extreme devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit on him and the United States Army.
Department of the Army, General Orders No. 43 (August 9, 1971)