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 Major Basil L. Plumley (ASN: RA-35425274), United States Army, for gallantry in action while serving with Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, in action on 16 November 1965, while defending a command post in the Ia Drang Valley, Republic of Vietnam. The command post was being savagely attacked by an unknown number of Viet Cong. Hostile small arms and automatic weapons fire was coursing steadily and relentlessly into the forward command post and aid station area which was approximately 150 meters from the line of contact. At approximately 0500 hours at the height of the savage attack, a flare, still burning landed in an open box of fragmentation hand grenades in the pile of small arms, mortar, and other ammunition less than ten meters form the battalion command group. Sergeant Major Plumley, voluntarily and unhesitatingly rose up in the face of intense small arms and automatic weapons fire, dashed to the burning flare, lifting it with his bare hands out of the box of grenades and threw it. He then extinguished the flare with his feet as well as other small fires which it had ignited around the ammo area. Sergeant Major Plumley’s valorous and extremely courageous action performed under fire with complete disregard for his own personal safety, undoubtedly prevented the complete ammunition supply from exploding. His gallant actions are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.