Five Battalions Get Unit Citations;
Two Soldiers Are Awarded DSCs

   CU CHI - Five Tropic Lightning Battalions were awarded the Presidential Unit Citation and two Tropic Lightning soldiers were awarded the Distinguished Service Cross by General Creighton Abrams, Commanding General, MACV, in ceremonies in the Division’s Cu Chi base Camp.
   The battalions cited were the 2d Battalion, 77th Artillery, 2d Battalion, 12th Infantry, 2d and 3d Battalions, 22d Infantry, and the 2d Battalion, 34th Armor.
   AWARDED THE Distinguished Service Cross were 1LT Andres Gutierrez of Co C, 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry and Private First Class Donald E. Evans of B Troop, 3d Squadron, 4th Cavalry.

1LT Andres Gutierrez distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on February 23, 1969 during a rocket, mortar, and ground assault on the Dau Tieng base camp by two NVA battalions reinforced with sapper elements. Gutierrez organized a reaction force and led it to a point in the perimeter that was under heavy enemy pressure.
Spotting three NVA preparing to fire an RPG into a bunker, he killed them with his pistol. During the battle he continually exposed himself to the enemy fire to rescue and treat the wounded and supply his men with ammunition.