David Sydney James

U.S. Army Private First Class David S. James was wounded in action on August 4, 1970 in the Republic of Vietnam while serving as a member of the Special Training Advisory Group with Company B, 1st Battalion (Mechanized), 50th Infantry. PFC James distinguished himself by valorous actions when the Group was accompanying Popular Force 121 on a night ambush.

The Popular Force platoon had dispatched approximately fifteen men ahead to organize a temporary ambush location prior to occupying the primary position. As the Advisory Group reached the advanced element, approximately thirty Viet Cong ambushed the temporary site utilizing automatic weapons fire, rockets and grenades.

PFC James immediately began firing his weapon while attempting to establish and maintain contact with higher headquarters with the radio he was carrying. The Popular Forces and Special Advisory Group began to withdraw. During the initial move, James was wounded in both legs and one arm. Since he was unable to walk and hidden from view by large graves in the area, other members of the team could not come to his assistance.

Now alone, he managed through great personal courage and effort to drag himself one hundred meters into some concealing cover and then began transmitting a constant flow of intelligent information to headquarters. As support gunships arrived, he directed them in order to bring illumination and devastating fire on the enemy. With Viet Cong troops as close as ten meters away from his concealed position, he continued to direct the movement of the reaction force into the contact area.