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 Sergeant Edward D. Rumold, United States Army, for gallantry in action while serving with Advisory Team 162, Airborne Advisory Detachment, Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, Sergeant Rumold distinguished himself on 12 June 1970, while serving as Light Weapons Infantry Advisory, 23d Company, 2d Airborne Battalion, Airborne Division, Army of the Republic of Vietnam. On this date, the 23d Company encountered a North Vietnamese Army battalion in a regimental base camp. With the initial burst of fire, Sergeant Rumold ran forward to the squad in contact to assess the situation. Reaching the point, he was pinned down by accurate machine gun, small arms and recoilless rifle fire. Aerial rocket artillery arrived on station and Sergeant Rumold crawled as far forward as possible to direct the indirect fire. Then he constantly exposed himself to the bitter enemy fusillade by throwing smoke to mark their positions. The exchange of fire was so furious that he received shrapnel from the aerial rocket artillery as well as from the enemy. Heedlessly, he stayed in this position to direct another six sections of aerial rocket artillery, all within 20 meters of his vantage point. After five hours of bitter fighting, one sortie of on air support craft arrived on station. Sergeant Rumold then crawled back to the forward most point and directed the airstrike only 100 meters from his position. Sergeant Rumold’s conspicuous gallantry in action was in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, and the United States Army.