Dale Franklin Rollins
Sergeant First Class, U.S. Army

Dale Franklin Rollins was born on 16 October 1936 in Ronan, MT, the son of Willard Edwin and Zetta Octava Sampson Rollins. Dale enlisted in the U.S. Army on 11 January 1954 in Montana.

On 13 November 1968, Sergeant First Class Dale Franklin Rollins was serving with Company A, 1st Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, in South Vietnam.

On that day, SFC Rollins was serving as first sergeant of Company A, an infantry unit, at Fire Base Vera. When Company A came under an intense enemy mortar and rocket attack, SFC Rollins left the command bunker and moved through the hostile barrage to check the bunker line and render aid and encouragement to the wounded. Finding a critically injured officer, he treated the man's wounds and had him taken to the helicopter pad for immediate evacuation. He next went to a section of the perimeter that was receiving heavy small arms and grenade fire. Upon arrival he spotted, and killed, a North Vietnamese soldier that had breached the perimeter. After warning the bunker line that the aggressors had broken through the defensive wire, he spotted 4 more enemy troops. Alerting a fellow soldier to their location, SFC Rollins approached them and spoke in Vietnamese. Confused by his action, the communists exposed themselves and were killed by him and his comrade. One of the enemy that had crossed the perimeter opened fire from the rear, mortally wounding SFC Rollins. SFC Rollins' extraordinary heroism, at the cost of his life, earned him the U.S. Army's second highest award for valor, the Distinguished Service Cross.

Medals, Awards and Badges

Distinguished Service Cross
Bronze Star Medal (Merit)
Purple Heart
Army Good Conduct Medal with 5 Bronze Knots
National Defense Service Medal
Vietnam Service Medal
Vietnam Campaign Medal
Combat Infantryman Badge

Distinguished Service Cross Citation

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918 (amended by act of July 25, 1963), takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to Sergeant First Class Dale Franklin Rollins (ASN: RA-19467203), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam, while serving with Company A, 1st Battalion, 35th Infantry, 3d Brigade, 4th Infantry Division. Sergeant First Class Rollins distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 13 November 1968 as first sergeant of an infantry company at Fire Base Vera. When his unit came under an intense enemy mortar and rocket attack, Sergeant Rollins unhesitatingly left the safety of the command bunker and moved through the hostile barrage to check the bunker line and render aid and encouragement to the wounded. Finding a critically injured officer, he treated the man's wounds and had him taken to the helicopter pad for immediate evacuation. He next went to a section of the perimeter which was receiving heavy small arms and grenade fire. When he arrived he spotted and killed a North Vietnamese soldier who had breached the perimeter. After warning the bunker line that the aggressors had broken through the defensive wire, he spotted four more enemy troops. Alerting a fellow soldier to their location, Sergeant Rollins approached and spoke to them In Vietnamese. Confused by his action, the communists exposed themselves and were killed by him and his comrade. One of the enemy who had crossed the perimeter opened fire from the rear, mortally wounding Sergeant Rollins. Sergeant First Class Rollins' 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.

General Orders: Headquarters, U.S. Army, Vietnam, General Orders No. 291 (January 25, 1969)

Honors

The name Dale F Rollins is located on Panel 39W Line 62 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall.

Burial

Sergeant First Class Dale Franklin Rollins is buried at Pleasant View Cemetery in Saint Ignatius, Lake County, MT.