The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Lance Corporal David Michael Sivak (MCSN: 2107080), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as a Scout with Company L, Third Battalion, Twenty-Sixth Marines, THIRD Marine Division, in connection with operations against the enemy in the Republic of Vietnam. On 16 June 1968, while participating in Operation Mameluke Thrust in Quang Nam Province, Lance Corporal Sivak was Point Man for the lead platoon during an attack by Company L on a large North Vietnamese Army force entrenched on Hill 51. As the Marines advanced toward the objective, they immediately came under a heavy volume of mortar and automatic weapons fire. Alertly observing a single North Vietnamese soldier delivering accurate automatic weapons fire from a well-concealed position, Lance Corporal Sivak commenced directing intense fire against the hostile emplacement. After expending his ammunition, he seized a machine gun from a nearby casualty and continued to deliver fire on the enemy. Unable to suppress the hostile fire, Lance Corporal Sivak fearlessly rushed forward and engaged the North Vietnamese soldier in hand-to-hand combat. Although exhausted by the difficult assault up the steep hill and painfully wounded in the side, he overcame the enemy soldier and killed him with a knife. By his courage, bold initiative and unfaltering devotion to duty at great personal risk, Lance Corporal Sivak contributed immeasurably to the accomplishment of his unit’s mission and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service.