The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Hospitalman Third Class John N. Vintila (NSN: 9544361), United States Naval Reserve, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy while serving as a Medical Corpsman attached to a Marine Infantry Company of the FIRST Marine Division (Rein.), FMF, in action against enemy aggressor forces in Korea, on 5 May 1952. When the patrol he was accompanying was subjected to a devastating hail of automatic-weapons and mortar fire, Hospitalman Third Class Vintila observed nine seriously wounded Marines lying on the trail and immediately ran from the rear of the column in the face of the shattering barrage to assist the stricken men. Constantly under fire, he succeeded in rendering first aid to each of the nine casualties and in carrying the less seriously wounded to safety. Although narrowly escaping direct hits from the bursting shells many times, he calmly persisted in his efforts until all the wounded had been evacuated. By his courageous initiative, resolute determination, and unyielding devotion to duty in the face of heavy odds, Hospitalman Third Class Vintila was directly instrumental in saving the lives of several wounded Marines and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.