The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Private Leon R. Hollowell (MCSN: 2073469), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving with Company M, Third Battalion, Fourth Marines, THIRD Marine Division (Rein.), FMF, in connection with combat operations against the enemy in the Republic of Vietnam on 4 June 1965. While serving as a rifleman with the Second Platoon, Company M, Private Hollowell was engaged in action as a member of a reaction force assigned to clear a stream bed of Viet Cong insurgents. The densely vegetated and extremely steep banks of the stream bed, in which the enemy was lodged, extremely limited observation and hindered movement by members of the fire team. On three separate occasions Private Hollowell withstood intense rifle fire and hand grenades and courageously entered Viet Cong positions. Upon finding a wounded Viet Cong, he carried him partially up an adjacent hill to a helicopter landing zone. As the Marines continued their sweep, Private Hollowell, in chest deep water in the middle of the stream, perceived a Viet Cong in the brush and immediately shot him. Seeing the man slip under the water, Private Hollowell dove toward the spot with his bayonet, located the Viet Cong and stabbed him. Aggressively and instantaneously, Private Hollowell reacted to all commands of his fire team leader and squad leader, and was a determining factor in the death of ten Viet Cong. By his daring actions and loyal devotion to duty in the face of personal risk, Private Hollowell upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.