The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 8, 1918 (amended by act of July 25, 1963), takes pleasure in presenting a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Second Award of the Silver Star to Lieutenant Colonel (Infantry) Bynum P. Westall, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving as Province Officer, Chau Doc Province, Republic of South Vietnam. On 31 January 1968, during a multi-battalion-sized enemy attack on the city of Chau Phu, Colonel Westall was informed that an American nurse had been trapped in her quarters which were now occupied by hostile enemy forces. He voluntarily and without hesitation organized a volunteer rescue party consisting of himself and five other personnel. Driving through withering hails of enemy machinegun fire, he and his rescue party arrived safely at the enemy-occupied nurse’s quarters, routed the enemy and rescued the American nurse. Returning the nurse to safety, he found eight other American civilians seeking refuge in the sector Tactical Operations Center. Realizing that the Tactical Operations Center was surrounded on three sides by enemy forces and was vulnerable, he decided to evacuate these civilians along with the nurse. With himself again driving the lead vehicle and a U.S. Army Advisor suppressing the enemy fire with a mounted .50 caliber machinegun, he and his rescue party successfully eluded the enemy and evacuated the American civilians from the city. Colonel Westall and the U.S. Army Advisor returned to the embattled city and for the next two days he directed the Army Advisor and his provincial reconnaissance unit in successful counterattacks against the enemy strongpoints throughout the city. Because of the heroic actions of the rescue party under his command, the life of an American nurse was saved, eight other American civilians were evacuated from enemy-controlled territory, and the city of Chau Phu was successfully defended and remained in friendly hands. Colonel Westall’s extraordinary heroism and intrepidity, at the risk of his own life, are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Army.