Rank: Sergeant
Unit: Air Cavalry Troop, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment
MOS: 11B – Infantryman
Awards: Distinguished Service Cross, Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
Badges: Parachutist Badge
Unit awards: Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with Palm device
Enlisted by: Regular
Date of birth: 30-Oct-1948
Hometown: Ft Collins, Colorado
Marital status: Never Married
Campaign: Vietnam Conflict
Entered service: 27-Oct-1967
Start of tour: 16-Oct-1968
Incident date: 20-Mar-1969
Date of casualty: 20-Mar-1969
Age at death: 20
Cause of death: Hostile, died. Grenade. Multiple fragmentation wounds.
Frank De Paul Saracino Jr was killed while on a military mission when a hostile force was encountered. / On bomb damage assessment mission when engaged hostile force in firefight.
Two Blackhorse troopers died in this incident:
SGT Frank De Paul Saracino Jr
SP4 Clarence Elvin Smith
Location of fatality: Binh Long, South Vietnam, XT 591 580
Place of interment: Grandview Cemetery, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
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DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS
POSTHUMOUS
SERGEANT FRANK DePAUL SARACINO JR
20 MARCH 1969
AIR CAVALRY TROOP
11TH ARMORED CAVALRY REGIMENT
Sergeant Saracino distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action in connection with military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam, while serving with Air Cavalry Troop, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. Sergeant Saracino distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 20 March 1969 as a squad leader during a mission to assess the damage done by a B-52 bomber strike seven miles northwest of Dau Tieng. Sergeant Saracino was serving as point man when his platoon came upon the bunkers of a base camp occupied by a North Vietnamese Army battalion. Motioning for the other men to take cover, he single-handedly assaulted the first position and destroyed it with a hand grenade. He then led his troops further into the fortified area, shooting and killing two communists whom he spotted trying to escape from a second fortification. The platoon continued to advance, but suddenly became pinned down by machine gun and antitank rocket fire. Exposing himself to the hail of bullets, Sergeant Saracino placed suppressive fire on the enemy which enabled his comrades to withdraw and remained behind until they had all reached a more secure location. After three air strikes were directed against the enemy base camp, he again led his men forward and made another one-man assault against a bunker, killing its two occupants with hand grenades. As he was starting toward another stronghold, a heavy caliber machine gun started to fire on the platoon. Seeing that several of his men were exposed to the deadly fusillade, he attempted to save them by engaging the hostile position and drawing its fire to himself. While attempting to throw a hand grenade at the machine gun emplacement, he was killed by the enemy barrage. Sergeant Saracino’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.
Headquarters, United States Army Vietnam General Orders No. 1724 (14 May 1969)