The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Specialist Fourth Class Lawrence T. Cooper (ASN: RA-16893673), United States Army, for gallantry in action while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam. Specialist Fourth Class Cooper distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 25 July 1967 while serving as Special Forces advisor to a Vietnamese company on an extended search and destroy mission deep in hostile territory. Shortly after infiltration into an enemy controlled valley, his unit was savagely attacked by a large Viet Cong force firing machine guns, mortars and recoilless rifles. His unit was split by the intensity of the assault, and Specialist Cooper led thirty-five soldiers in an attempt to reach his base. As he moved along a trail under constant harassment from enemy forces following him, he detected four insurgents at a trail junction ahead. Completely ignoring his own safety, he charged the hostile soldiers and killed all four with deadly rifle fire. His men were immediately pinned down by intense fire from another direction by a numerically superior hostile force, but he exposed himself to the enemy weapons time after time to call for air strikes and rescue helicopters. He deployed his men in a defensive perimeter and fought furiously against the determined attackers until evacuation aircraft arrived. The helicopters were hit with heavy ground fire as they came in, but he loaded the first ship he refused to board until he was sure that all of his men were safe. Specialist Fourth Class Cooper’s gallantry in action was in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflects great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.