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 a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Second Award of the Silver Star to Major (Infantry) John Norman Taylor (ASN: 0-91088), United States Army, for gallantry in action while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force on 29 November 1967, while serving with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, in the Republic of Vietnam. On this date, Major Taylor was serving as Battalion S-3 at the battalion’s night defensive position near the village of Bu Dop. At approximately 2300 hours, the friendly position came under a heavy rocket and mortar barrage from an undetermined size enemy force. As the initial rounds impacted, Major Taylor unhesitatingly dashed through the blanketing hail of shrapnel raining the area to the command bunker. He quickly organized his personnel and began to direct voluminous and devastating fire on the insurgent firing positions. Suddenly the enemy fire ceased and the hostile forces launched a massive human wave assault on the night defensive position. Major Taylor immediately emerged from the relative security of the command bunker and moved across the bullet swept area to the point of heavies contact. From his exposed forward position he began to direct helicopter fire teams into the area, to unleash their fusillades of suppressive fire onto the insurgents. Throughout the entire conflict he remained at the points of heavies contact to call in supporting fir and move among the friendly position, directing their fire into the enemy onslaught. His bold and dauntless courage served as an inspiration to his men and was instrumental in effecting the rout of the large enemy force, Major Taylor’s unquestionable valor in close combat against a numerically superior hostile force is in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, the 1st Infantry Division, and the United States Army.