The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Major William Francis Henry Uren, Jr. (MCSN: 0-76013), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as Operations Officer of the First Battalion, Seventh Marines, FIRST Marine Division (Rein.), FMF, in connection with combat operations against insurgent communist (Viet Cong) forces in the Republic of Vietnam. On 13 January 1968, Major Uren, in company with the battalion commander and two engineer officers was participating in a reconnaissance patrol along the Song Yen River in Quang Nam Province in search of prospective rocket launch sites. Having operated in the area previously as a Company Commander, Major Uren was familiar with the terrain and well aware that the area was heavily mined. As he was inspecting a prospective site, he observed some of the patrol start to walk down a trail which was heavily mined. Realizing the seriousness of the situation and completely disregarding his own safety, Major Uren shouted a warning and unhesitatingly ran through the brush to the path and threw himself in front of the lead man. As he pushed the Marine aside, he placed his own body with arms outstretched between his companions and the enemy explosive device. Acting as a human shield, Major Uren received the full force of the explosion as the mine detonated. Although he received multiple fragmentation wounds in his lower torso, left arm and both legs, which resulted in the subsequent amputation of his right foot, he courageously crawled toward the other wounded members of the patrol to attend to their needs and direct them safely from the mined area. By his selfless determination to warn and protect his companions, resolute courage despite shock and intense pain from his own wounds and his unfaltering dedication to duty, Major Uren was undoubtedly instrumental in preventing additional Marine casualties and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service.