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 John C. Ingles, United States Army, for gallantry in action while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam, while serving with Special Operations Augmentation, Command and Control Detachment, North, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces. Sergeant Ingles distinguished himself while serving as assistance leader of a long range reconnaissance patrol during an intelligence gathering mission deep in enemy controlled territory. As the team was descending a steep mountain slope en route to its objective, it was fired upon by an enemy force of undermined size. Sergeant Ingles held off the attackers with rifle fire while the rest of the team rushed back up the slopes and there formed a hasty defensive perimeter. Placing a claymore mine in his path of withdrawal, Sergeant Ingles then pulled back to rejoin the team. When he heard the sounds of the approaching enemy, Sergeant Ingles detonated the mine and killed two of the enemy. Almost simultaneously, the team’s flank was assaulted by other enemy elements. Sergeant Ingles rushed to that sector of the perimeter and drove back to the attackers with a devastating volume of rifle fire. As night fell, the enemy surrounded the team and probed its perimeter repeatedly. Exposing himself to hostile fire, Sergeant Ingles employed an infrared strobe light to guide friendly support aircraft in bringing suppressive fire on the adversary. When the battered enemy regrouped and assaulted a second time, Sergeant Ingles again braved enemy fire and skillfully directed tactical aircraft to their targets. The enemy assault broken, Sergeant Ingles gathered and destroyed the team’s vital reconnaissance equipment and then moved the team to an emergency landing zone where it was extracted by helicopter. Sergeant Ingles’ gallantry in action was in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflects great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.