On 31 March 1967, Private First Class Artis Breland, Jr. was serving with Company A, 39th Engineer Battalion (Combat), 45th Engineer Group (Construction), 18th Engineer Brigade, in South Vietnam.

On that day, PFC Breland was serving as a machine gunner during a Viet Cong ambush in hostile territory. PFC Breland was selected, with six other men, to flank and counterattack a Viet Cong squad that ambushed his platoon. To reach the insurgent element, he was forced to crawl 200 meters through exposed areas of a rice paddy. PFC Breland suppressed the hostile weapons with a burst of fire while the rest of his patrol ran across a road, then he jumped up and ran to join his comrades. In the outburst of enemy fire, he was hit in the helmet and knocked to the ground, dazed. He recovered in moments, grabbed his helmet, and succeeded in reaching the patrol, although enemy bullets tore up the ground along his path. PFC Breland laid down a base of covering fire while his squad members made the next advance and then ran to join them, but was hit by a Viet Cong bullet in the right leg and fell to the ground. Ignoring the hostile fire striking all around him, he placed a stream of fire into the enemy emplacements until the guns were silenced. Despite his wound, PFC Breland ran to join his squad and prepared for further assaults. When told to give his machine gun to another soldier and report to a medic, he refused and continued to aggressively attack the Viet Cong until the ambush was repulsed. PFC Breland's extraordinary heroism and selfless actions earned him the U.S. Army's second highest award for valor, the Distinguished Service Cross.

PFC Breland served two tours in Vietnam.