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 Lieutenant Colonel (Infantry) Arthur Edmon Brown, Jr., United States Army, for gallantry in action against an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam. Lieutenant Colonel Brown distinguished himself by intrepid actions on 7 January 1970, while serving as Commander of the 1st Battalion, 52d Infantry Regiment, 198th Infantry Brigade (Light), 23d Infantry Division (Americal). On that date, a platoon of Company A was engaged in heavy contact with a numerically superior enemy force near Thuong Tho. While maneuvering against the enemy positions, one friendly soldier was seriously wounded and the remainder of the element was pinned down by hostile fire. Flying in his Command and Control helicopter directly above the action, Lieutenant Colonel Brown, realizing the seriousness of the situation, directed his aircraft commander to attempt the evacuation of the wounded soldier. Although the craft received numerous direct hits as it was descending, Lieutenant Colonel Brown, undaunted, directed the pilot through the enemy fusillade to a safe landing. Once on the ground, Lieutenant Colonel Brown, with complete disregard for his personal safety, braved the enemy fire as he left the helicopter and assisted in placing the wounded soldier onto the craft. He then directed the Aircraft Commander to leave the area while he remained on the ground to assist the platoon leader in organizing an attack on the enemy positions. Assessing the tactical situation, Lieutenant Colonel Brown called in accurate artillery fire on the enemy positions and then led a sweep of the area to complete rout the insurgents. His outstanding leadership and courage were directly responsible for the success of the mission and were instrumental in saving the life of the wounded soldier. Lieutenant Colonel Brown’s personal heroism, professional competence, and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, the Americal Division, and the United States Army.