The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918 (amended by an act of July 25, 1963), takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to First Lieutenant (Air Defense Artillery) Jon Michael Corey, United States Army, for gallantry in action against an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam. First Lieutenant Corey distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 27 May 1969 while serving as a Long Range Patrol Leader with the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) MACV Recondo School. Lieutenant Corey’s five man team was en route to a landing zone extraction point in the Deng Bo area when it made contact with the point element of an estimated reinforced North Vietnamese Army company. An immediate, intense fire fight erupted and the patrol’s point man was seriously wounded. Lieutenant Corey, using rapid and exceptionally sound judgment, deployed his men in the best positions the lightly forested area could officer. Lieutenant Corey, realizing that the only way to rescue the wounded men was to silence an enemy machine gun and automatic weapons position, managed to crawl to a location close enough to destroy the elements with two hand grenades, although he was under intense enemy fire. Lieutenant Corey then charged two of the enemy soldiers, destroying them with rifle fire and dispersing several others. Lieutenant Corey then dragged the wounded men approximately twenty yards to a position of relative safety, where he then began to direct exceptionally accurate and heavy support fire on the enemy unit from the gunship escort helicopters which had previously been en route to the landing zone. As the evacuation helicopter approached, Lieutenant Corey noted a squad of enemy soldiers attempting to organize an ambush for the aircraft, which he waved off. Lieutenant Corey, then openly exposing himself to enemy fire, moved to a position which afforded him an opportunity to direct M-79 and rifle fire at the enemy position, which caused a secondary explosion in the enemy area, thwarting the ambush and routing the North Vietnamese element. The entire enemy unit withdrew and Lieutenant Corey administered first aid to the wounded men and supervised the safe extraction of his patrol. First Lieutenant Corey’s personal heroism, professional competence, and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service, and reflect great credit upon himself, the Americal Division, and the United States Army.