The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Second Lieutenant Thomas E. Noel (MCSN: 0-106151), United States Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism while serving as a Platoon Commander with Company C, First Battalion, Fourth Marines, THIRD Marine Division (Reinforced), Fleet Marine Force, in connection with combat operations against the enemy in the Republic of Vietnam. On 1 March 1969, Second Lieutenant Noel was directed to seize a hill near Ca Lu in Quang Tri Province, which was controlled by a North Vietnamese Army regiment occupying a well-fortified bunker complex. He quickly led his Marines up a slope, and as they neared the top the men came under hostile fire from small arms and automatic weapons. The unit became a lucrative target for sniper and mortar fire and was pinned down in a dangerously exposed position. Second Lieutenant Noel pinpointed major sources of enemy fire, then pulled the pins on two grenades which he clutched in his hands, and boldly raced toward the North Vietnamese Army bunkers. While charging the emplacements, he was repeatedly thrown to the ground by the concussion of mortars detonating nearby, but he steadfastly continued toward the enemy force. In a last desperate struggle, he reached his objective and threw his grenades through the apertures of two of the bunkers, killing all occupants. He fearlessly led his men in an aggressive attack on the remaining hostile positions, and during the ensuing fierce engagement he personally carried casualties to places of relative safety. Only after he had consolidated his position and ensured that all wounded Marines had been evacuated would he accept treatment for his injuries. His heroic efforts and selfless concern for his fellow men inspired all who observed him and were instrumental in his platoon accounting for twenty enemy soldiers killed. By his courage, aggressive fighting spirit, and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of grave personal danger, Second Lieutenant Noel contributed significantly to the accomplishment of his unit’s mission and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.