SP4 Kent M. Zerr

Company A

227th Assault Helicopter Battalion

1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile)

SP4 Kent M. Zerr

Kent Zerr with A/227

Kent Zerr with .45 looking into bunker

SP4 Kent M. Zerr earned the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) on 6 March 1970 while serving with B Troop, 1-9th Cavalry in Vietnam.
SP4 Zerr is buried in Forest Hills Memorial Park in Reiffton, Pennsylvania. His citation is below:

Citation:
The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to Kent Martin Zerr, Specialist Fourth Class, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam, while serving with Troop B, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile). Specialist Four Zerr distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 6 March 1970 while serving as point man of a rifle platoon operating near the Cambodian border in search of a suspected enemy bunker complex. While moving toward the suspected enemy area, Specialist Zerr spotted the first enemy bunker and alerted the rest of the platoon. As the platoon began to sweep the bunker complex, they came under intense machine gun and automatic weapons fire from an estimated company-size enemy force. One of Specialist Zerr's comrades was wounded at the beginning of the conflict. Specialist Zerr exposed himself to intense enemy fire as he rushed to his comrade's aid and moved him to a rear area. When Specialist Zerr returned to the contact area, he found his unit embattled from the front and on both flanks. Noticing an enemy machine gun position only fifteen meters away, Specialist Zerr crawled forward through enemy fire and threw a hand grenade into the bunker, destroying the machine gun and killing the bunker's three occupants. Ordered to withdraw so that gunships could be called in on the enemy positions, Specialist Zerr volunteered to provide cover fire for his platoon's withdrawal. Specialist Zerr's bravery exposed himself as he placed suppressive fire on the enemy positions and received return fire. While performing this mission, he was mortally wounded by enemy automatic weapons fire. Specialist Four Zerr'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.