Donald L. Myers
Rank: Sergeant First Class
Myer Silver Star Mission/Citation
The Mission took place on October 27, 1966. Recon Team AWL 1-0 was Sergeant Fist Class (SFC) Donald L. Myers. The team was supported by the 155th Assault Helicopter Company. SFC Myers’ actions were recognized with the Silver Star. His citation is shown below:
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 8, 1918 (amended by act of July 25, 1963), takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Sergeant First Class Donald L. Myers, United States Army, for exceptionally valorous actions on 27 October 1966 while serving as Special Forces team leader of a reconnaissance team on a combat mission deep in hostile territory. While moving through thick jungle late in the afternoon, his patrol was suddenly at-tacked by a numerically superior Viet Cong force. Sergeant Myers exposed himself to the intense fire to direct his men in repulsing the attack. Quickly moving into a defensive perimeter, he tried to radio friendly forces for support. Unable to make contact, he called in air strikes within thirty meters of his position and exposed himself to direct gunships on the enemy positions. When the enemy started to pull back, he called for exfiltration helicopters to evacuate the team. Seeing that the helicopters could extract only one man at a time, he stayed on the ground to cover the operations. The insurgents launched a furious assault on his position in an attempt to shoot down the hovering aircraft, but he remained in the open and drove off the attack at point blank range. Only when he was sure that his men were safe did he allow himself to be hoisted to safety.
Myers Bronze Star Mission/Citation
On May 6, 1967, B-50 Recon Team 1-0 Sergeant First Class Donald L. Myers was the patrol leader of a six-man Special Forces patrol. He was awarded the Bronze Star for Valor due to his actions in this mission. His citation notes: “Sergeant Myers distinguished himself by valorous actions on 05/06/67 while serving as the patrol leader of a six-man Special Forces long-range reconnaissance patrol operating deep in enemy-held territory. Realizing that he could not move from his place of concealment without being detected by the North Vietnamese Company that had moved into the area, SGT Myers gallantly took them under fire with such a savage burst that fifteen of the enemy were killed or severely wounded instantly. The ferocity of the attack forced the enemy to retreat into their own punji stakes. Thinking only of the casualties he could produce, SGT Myers stepped from his concealed position into the open and unleashed a murderous volley of fire on the enemy, inflicting many more casualties on them and further disorganizing them.” (Per 5SF GO 68/0906, dated 06/03/68.)