The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918 (amended by an act of July 25, 1963), takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Staff Sergeant William Lewis Chifos (ASN: US-55853273), United States Army, for gallantry in action involving close combat against an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam. Staff Sergeant Chifos distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on the afternoon of 7 February 1968, while serving as a Squad Leader with Company B, 5th Battalion, 60th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division, on a reconnaissance in force mission just north of My Tho, Vietnam. When his squad came under heavy automatic weapons fire from an enemy bunker complex in a woodline, the point man, who was carrying an M-60 machine gun, was killed instantly in the initial volley of fire. The enemy made several unsuccessful attempts to capture the weapon, and provided an extremely intense volume of suppressive fire to foil any attempts to recover the weapon by friendly forces. Sergeant Chifos immediately deployed his squad to direct effective fire against the insurgents, and called in air strikes and artillery fire on the bunker complex. Completely disregarding his own safety, Sergeant Chifos then braved the torrent of hostile fire to retrieve both the body of his fallen comrade and the automatic weapon. Staff Sergeant Chifos’ extraordinary heroism in close combat against a Viet Cong force is in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, the 9th Infantry Division, and the United States Army.