The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Hospital Corpsman Third Class Anthony J. Szal, Jr. (NSN: 7746731), United States Navy, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as a Corpsman attached to a Company of U.S. Marines in the Song La River area of the Republic of Vietnam on 11 June 1966. When his platoon detonated an anti-personnel mine that killed one man and wounded seven others, Petty Officer Szal rushed to the scene and was administering first aid to the wounded when shrapnel from a second explosion seriously wounded him. Fully aware of the danger of additional detonations, and disregarding his own wounds, he continued to crawl from man to man, administering medical aid and evacuating the wounded. When he was no longer able to care for the casualties, he instructed the Marines in the proper care of the wounded.