17 April 2003 REMEMBERED by his comrades in the 5th Infantry Mike Mangan and Russ Taylor (right) at Cu Chi. Photo courtesy of Russ Taylor DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY HEADQUARTERS, UNITED STATES ARMY VIETNAM APO San Francisco 96375 29 October 1968 GENERAL ORDERS NUMBER 5006 AWARD OF THE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS 1. TC 320. The following AWARD is announced posthumously. MANGAN, MICHAEL R US56703895 SPECIALIST 4 UNITED STATES ARMY Company C, 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry, 2nd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division Awarded: Distinguished Service Cross Date action: 21 August 1968 Theater: Republic of Vietnam Reason: For extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam: Specialist Four Mangan distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 21 August 1968 while serving with a mechanized infantry company combating a large enemy force in the Ben Cui rubber plantation. The communists began a human wave assault. Specialist Mangan maneuvered his armored personnel carrier into a position from which it could deliver the most effective firepower and began firing his ligt anti-tank weapon into the charging enemy. Constantly exposed to the intense hostile fusillade, he continued firing until ordered to withdraw. As he maneuvered his assault vehicle into a defensive position, it was struck by an enemy rocket which caused it to burst into flames. Specialist Mangan again exposed himself to the communist's barrage to extinguish the fire and was wounded in the arm. The vehicle was then struck by a mortar round. Finding the carrier inoperative, he ran to another assault vehicle to assist its machinegunner in delivering suppressive fire on the enemy. When the gunner had expended his ammunition, Specialist Mangan ran through a hail of bullets to obtain a resupply from his demobilized track. As he climbed into the vehicle it was struck by a rocket, knocking him to the ground. Struggling to his feet, he picked up the vital ammunition and returned it to the machinegunner's position. While handing the resupply to his comrade, he was mortally wounded. Specialist Four Mangan'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. Authority: By direction of the President under the provisions of the Act of Congress, approved 25 July 1963.

 

Notes from The Virtual Wall Shortly before 7 AM on 21 August 21 1968 C Company 1/5 Inf departed Dau Tieng for a reconnaissance in force operation through the Ben Cui Rubber Plantation. C Company was to operate approximately 1 kilometer south of Highway 239, while the 1/5 Recon Platoon, the 3rd Brigade CRIP Platoon, and one twin 40mm "Duster" were to sweep the highway itself, paralleling C Company's movement through the rubber plantation. Just after 11 AM C Company began receiving sniper fire, followed by increasingly heavy automatic weapons and RPG fire. At 1140 the Recon Platoon sighted hundreds of enemy soldiers moving south to engage C Company. The Recon force engaged the enemy with .50 caliber machine guns and the Duster's 40mm cannons but were unable to break up the attack against C Company. In the heavy fighting which ensued, C Company suffered 17 men killed in action and 21 wounded in action. Staff Sergeant Marvin R. Young received the Medal of Honor and SP4 Michael R. Mangan the Distinguished Service Cross for their efforts in support of their comrades. Additional information regarding the fighting, which continued on 22 and 23 August, is available on the 5th Infantry site . The men who died that day were SFC Mainor D Lang     Savannah GA SSG Marvin R Young (MoH)     Odessa TX Cpl James L Bowden     Louisburg NC Cpl Edward V Coffey     Richmond Hill NY Cpl Jose R Colon-Rivera     Cayey PR Sp4 Jerry W Combest     Wylie TX Cpl James L Harbottle     Flagstaff AZ Sp4 Michael R Mangan (DSC)     Costa Mesa CA PFC Richard A Damschen     Bremerton WA PFC Bruce E Bartlett     Fort Lauderdale FL PFC Gary L Dobbins     Akron OH PFC Edward J Dull     Taunton MA PFC David W Ledbetter     Piedmont AL PFC Hubert W Martin     Oakman AL PFC Jesus Rivera     New York NY PFC James E Rush     Preston MS PFC Delbert R Stogsdill     Detroit MI

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