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 pride in presenting the Silver Star (Posthumously) to Specialist Fourth Class Robert Earl Johnston, Jr. (ASN: RA-10870279), United States Army, for gallantry in action while engaged in military operations against an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam as a member of the 41st Engineer Company, 92d Engineer Battalion, 159th Engineer Group, 20th Engineer Brigade. Specialist Johnston distinguished himself on 1 February 1968 while serving as a rifleman for an engineer construction platoon at Phu Cuong, Vietnam. The Vietnamese Army Engineer School was being attacked by an estimated company of Viet Cong and portions of the school had been overrun when the engineer construction platoon was called upon to halt the enemy advance. Specialist Johnston, in an advance element, assaulted the main gate to the school, and after thirty minutes of fierce fighting the platoon re-captured the gate. With complete disregard for his own safety, Specialist Johnston unhesitatingly charged up a hill to attack a Viet Cong machine gun position. His aggressive assault diverted machine gun fire from other elements of the platoon which continued firing on Viet Cong in the school buildings. Seeing another soldier seriously wounded, Specialist Johnston again exposed himself to hostile fire and moved down the hill for medical assistance. He returned with an ambulance and stretcher and dashed toward his seriously wounded comrade. Before he reached his comrade, he was mortally wounded by the enemy machine gun. The Viet Cong attack had been halted, largely due to the indomitable courage of Specialist Johnston. He repeatedly exposed himself to hostile fire and daringly attempted to save the life of a fallen comrade with complete disregard for his own safety. Specialist Johnston’s extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.