Edmund Abood
Edmond P. Abood
Class of 1950
2nd Battalion (Airborne), 327th Infantry, 101st Airborne Division, USAFE
Distinguished Service Cross for galleantry in action against enemy forces on 13 August 1967. While commanding a helicopter assault into enemy territory, he directed the battalion helicopters to fly low, to make direct strikes against enemy targets. Several helicopters were shot down, and his craft suffered hits. But he and his men landed at the designated place.
On the ground, he moved to avoid sniper fire while directing a team to extinguish a fire started by a smoke grenade in nearby elephant grass. He ignored enemy machine-gun fire and shrapnel to evacuate a soldier suffering from smoke inhalation and another overcome by heat exposure.
Through the night, he continued to repel enemy forces and direct a move to safer ground — all the while exposing himself to enemy fire and rallying his men.
Bronze Star w/V for heroism during a action against a well dug in Viet Cong unit. When LTC Abood learned that on eof his platoons were pinned down, he flew to the battle area by helicopter and assisted with artillery fire on the enemy positions. Although a Medevac helicopter was unable to fly due to damage from hostile fire, Abood ordered his helicopter to land and extract the wounded. He then joined the platoon giving them encouragement and directing return fire. His presence and leadership inspired the platoon and they routed the entrenched enemy.
Air Medal w/V for heroism in aerial flight by providing night navigation support to a rifle company on the ground attempting to link up with another unit under heavy enemy fire. To overcome the visibility limiting effects of darkness and triple canopy jungle, LTC Abood ordered the aircraft to hover, with lights on, over the designated link up point. This action caused enemy gunners to unleash a heavy volume of fire at the aircraft which maintained its’ position while employing evasive maneuver until the ground commander could locate the link up point and effect contact with the unit in contact.
Army Commendation Medial w/V ror heroism in ground combat by providing leadership under fire and assisting a platoon leader in securing a landing zone in high elephant grass under fire. Under his mentorship the LZ was secured and the enemy fire silenced.
