On June 30 1966, Troops B and C, 1st Squadron 4th Cavalry, were on a reconnaissance mission in Vietnam when they were attacked by a Viet Cong regiment. Sergeant Donald R. Long disregarded his own safety to help the severely wounded crew on a nearby disabled carrier to safety. In the course of this action, he threw himself over an enemy grenade to absorb the blast, saving the lives of eight of his comrades at the expense of his own. His extraordinary heroism, courage, and supreme devotion to his men were in the finest traditions of military service.