I am a reporter for the Valley Herald Newspaper in Ed Eaton's hometown of Milton-Freewater, Oregon and I also went to high school with Ed.
After his story was on the History Channel I contacted Ed and wrote an article.
Here is part of the article that should answer your question. (Marcia Akes)

"Ed laid down next to me and started firing," remembers Perkins. "There are people who will die for you and with you," he adds.
With just a few rounds left and the Viet Cong close, the two men didn't hold out much hope; but Eaton finishes the story: "Our Battalion commander returned with his helicopter and two Cobra gunships. The gunships expended the last of their ammunition as Col. Peterson picked up Mike and the rest; overloading his helicopter to the point that I was left behind for a period. Shortly thereafter, the Cobras came back and one landed nearby allowing me to grab a ride on the outside ammo door of the helicopter. They then took me to a rice paddy about 30 minutes away where they dropped me off. By then I couldn't walk, due to the vertebrae fractures, and was feeling at my lowest when out of nowhere a Medevac Huey came in the dark night and took me to the base camp hospital; ending the nightmare."
Eaton had a broken back among other injuries so he spent a couple weeks in the hospital before he could walk again. He then returned to the field out of a sense of duty to his men. "It was one of the stupidest things I did," he notes; "because I didn't have to." (The Army had given him 90 days of light duty.)

For his bravery and being wounded several different times in Vietnam, the Army sniper was awarded 3 Purple Hearts, 3 Bronze Stars with Valor device (or "V device"), 4 Air Medals, and numerous Army Commendation Medals along with other miscellaneous medals. At this time, Col. Pete Peterson and Major Perkins are requesting the Army to properly award Eaton a Medal commensurate to his actions on April 3, 1969.

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