The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Hospital Corpsman Second Class Thomas James Wood (NSN: B-413220), United States Navy, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action on 23 February 1969, while serving as a Corpsman with Company M, Third Battalion, Seventh Marines, FIRST Marine Division, in connection with military operations against the enemy in the Republic of Vietnam. Petty Officer Wood was serving as a Platoon Corpsman with the Second Platoon of Company M when his platoon was dispatched to the Bo Ban area of Hieu Duc District in Quang Nam Province to assist a squad from another platoon that had become heavily engaged with a well-entrenched North Vietnamese Army battalion. Having reached their objective, the Marines commenced a search and destroy operation across a rice paddy covered with heavy grass and were immediately engaged in a fire fight and fierce hand-to-hand combat with hostile soldiers who had been concealed in the tall grass. Unhesitatingly leaving his relatively secure rear position, Petty Officer Wood fearlessly moved to a forward position and, with the battle raging within only five meters of his location, rendered mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to a critically wounded Marine. When the platoon pivoted to assault enemy soldiers occupying well-fortified emplacements in a tree line, and became pinned down by intense enemy fire, he ignored the hostile rounds impacting about him as he moved across the fire-swept area to treat Marine casualties. After the platoon regrouped and initiated another aggressive attack on the enemy, Petty Officer Wood accompanied his companions to within ten meters of the hostile defensive perimeter and, on six separate occasions, escorted injured comrades across 100 meters of seemingly impassable terrain to a temporary aid station. His heroic and timely actions inspired all who observed him and were instrumental in saving the lives of several Marines. By his courage, bold initiative and unwavering devotion to duty, Petty Officer Wood upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.