Leroy Norris Wright

The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to Leroy Norris Wright (RA51032309), Sergeant First 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 Command and Control (Central), Detachment B-56, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces. Sergeant First Class Wright distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 2 May 1968 as team leader of a twelve-man Special Forces/Vietnamese reconnaissance patrol on an operation in hostile territory. Shortly after landing, his team spotted three Viet Cong soldiers. Immediately leading his team in evasive maneuvers, Sergeant Wright attempted to continue his reconnoiter. When the team made light contact with the enemy and the mission was completely compromised, he moved the patrol to a landing zone and called for an extraction helicopter. Savage enemy automatic weapons and small arms fire was directed at the team by a numerically superior enemy force. Sergeant Wright deployed his troops in a tight defensive perimeter and called for air support. Then, braving a hail of enemy bullets, he maneuvered his men toward the approaching rescue ship. The aircraft was driven off by an intense hostile fusillade that killed one door gunner and wounded the other. Sergeant Wright was also wounded by the ravaging barrage, but he completely disregarded his personal welfare and exposed himself to the savage fire to lead his force to a more secure position. The determined attackers closed in on the team and showered hand grenades on its position. Seeing a grenade land near one of his men, Sergeant Wright shouted a warning and dove between the soldier and the enemy explosive, absorbing the bulk of the blast. He was killed while selflessly placing the safety of a fellow soldier above his own in the heat of battle. Sergeant First Class Wright’s 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.
Headquarters, US Army, Vietnam, General Orders No. 2878 (June 17, 1969)