The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Lance Corporal James Q. Honeycutt (MCSN: 2037848), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as a Fire Team Leader with Company G, Second Battalion, Third Marines, THIRD Marine Division (Rein.), FMF, in connection with combat operations against insurgent communist (Viet Cong) forces in the Republic of Vietnam on 22 October 1966. During Operation KDERN, in the Ap Ba area, Lance Corporal Honeycutt’s Company was assaulting an objective, strongly defended by an estimated enemy force of two platoons, supported by automatic weapons. Lance Corporal Honeycutt led his fire team through intense automatic weapons fire to the objective on top of a hill, where he threw a hand grenade into a Viet Cong position killing its defender. Continuing his attack through the objective area, Lance Corporal Honeycutt shot and killed one of the enemy who was attempting to shoot his Platoon Commander, while the remainder of his team accounted for six Viet Cong killed. After gaining the Company’s objective, he immediately placed his fire team in defensive positions and began directing their fire. While under intense automatic weapons, with complete disregard for his own personal safety, he exposed himself to enemy fire to recover a wounded Marine in an exposed position. Upon receiving orders to return to the Company’s area, he moved his fire team with professional skill, bringing Marine casualties and captured the enemy weapons with them. By his extraordinary bravery in the face of extreme danger, bold initiative and loyal devotion to duty, Lance Corporal Honeycutt upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service.