The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Staff Sergeant Christopher P. Butler (MCSN: 1403463), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as Battalion Intelligence Chief with Headquarters Battery, Second Battalion, Twelfth Marines, in connection with operations against insurgent communist (Viet Cong) forces near DaNang, Republic of Vietnam, on 20 October 1966. While serving as Senior Noncommissioned Officer with a reconnaissance patrol, Staff Sergeant Butler was assigned to reconnoiter the village of Ha Dong. As the patrol was entering a treeline near the village, a booby trap wire was tripped causing an enemy fragmentation grenade to fall near the patrol. With complete disregard for his own safety, Staff Sergeant Butler shouted to his men to take cover and unhesitatingly picked up the grenade, ran forward way from his men and threw it toward a small nearby hole. The grenade detonated just as it was being thrown, causing painful wounds to his right hand and arm. Despite his wounds, his first concern was for the safety of his men and he personally directed the patrol Corpsman to determine if others were in need of medical attention. Through his extraordinary initiative and uncommon valor in the face of almost certain serious injury or death, Staff Sergeant Butler prevented the members of his patrol from being harmed or killed. By his courage, exemplary leadership and inspiring devotion to duty, Staff Sergeant Butler upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service.