The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Captain Alvin Joseph Doublet (MCSN: 0-60073), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against insurgent communist (Viet Cong) forces in the Republic of Vietnam while serving as Operations Officer of Headquarters and Service Company, Second Battalion, Seventh Marines. On 18 December 1965, while patrolling in Quang Tin Province during Operation HARVEST MOON, Captain Doublet’s Battalion came under heavy attack by a fanatic and well-entrenched enemy. With keen judgment and a ready grasp of the situation, Captain Doublet, undaunted by the severe fire, proceeded for three hours to make hazardous reconnaissance trips to sections of the Battalion line, thereby gaining invaluable information concerning both friendly and enemy strength and location. Each time fire erupted in a new sector, he quickly moved there and, with exceptional professional skill and insight, relayed recommendations to the Company Commander which resulted in repulsing the enemy. At one point, he realized that flamethrowers would be required to destroy a heavily constructed bunker, and courageously returned through a fire-swept area to obtain the necessary equipment. Running down a trail completely dominated by enemy fire and observation, Captain Doublet unerringly guided a major element of the Battalion against the heaviest concentration of the enemy. His personal knowledge of the entire situation enabled him to supervise operations of the Battalion Command Post when the Battalion Commander moved to the most critical point of action. At a later point in the action, realizing that elements of his Company were pinned down in open rice paddies and had suffered heavy casualties, he made his way to the leading elements, encouraging the wounded and guiding them through the continuous rain of fire to positions of relative safety. His exceptional competence in assessing the tactical situation enabled the Battalion to consolidate three separate actions into a single attack against the enemy, a highly successful maneuver which resulted in more than 100 enemy dead and an untold number wounded. By his exceptionally high degree of professionalism under intense enemy fire, coupled with a total disregard for his personal safety throughout, Captain Doublet served as an inspiration to those who served with him and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.