The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to First Lieutenant Edmund King Gross, (MCSN: 0-105913), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as a Platoon Commander with Company D, Third Reconnaissance Battalion, THIRD Marine Division in connection with military operations against the enemy in the Republic of Vietnam. On 7 June 1969, First Lieutenant Gross and a twenty-man reaction force were helilifted into a mountainous area of Quang Tri Province near the Demilitarized Zone to assist a reconnaissance team which was in heavy contact with a large North Vietnamese Army unit and had sustained casualties. After leading his men from the landing zone to the team’s position, he fearlessly initiated an assault through the hostile lines and reached the beleaguered unit. After preparing two wounded men for evacuation, he led the combined force back to a landing zone, but when two medical evacuation helicopters attempted to land, they were both shot down by enemy machine gunners. One aircraft crashed and burned in an area over 800 meters from the landing zone; the second helicopter crashed near the landing zone and also burst into flames. Completely disregarding his own safety, First Lieutenant Gross boldly ran across the fire-swept terrain to the nearest helicopter and, ignoring the flames and exploding aircraft ordnance, aided the crew to disembark and then led the men to a covered position. Since no further aircraft to extract the group, now numbering thirty-three, seven of whom were wounded, as possible at this time, he established a defensive perimeter and distributed previously captured North Vietnamese weapons to the crew of the downed helicopter. Throughout the night hostile soldiers repeatedly launched probing attacks against the Marines, and First Lieutenant Gross, seemingly without fear of the hostile rounds impacting in the area, skillfully directed supporting gunships to targets in proximity to the Marine emplacement. The following morning, directed by radio to move to a landing zone 4,000 meters distant, he and his men began a search for a route down the treacherous steep mountain which would accommodate the walking wounded and make it possible to carry stretchers. On their third attempt, the Marines located an acceptable route and, although a trail had to be cut through the thick undergrowth, began a slow descent toward the pre-designated landing zone. For the next three days, harassed by pursuing North Vietnamese Army soldiers and concerned by the critical condition of the injured Marines, he maneuvered his men down the barely negotiable path, continually moving among them to encourage them and maintain their confidence until the exhausted men attained their objective. His heroic actions and determined efforts inspired all who observed him and were instrumental in saving the lives of seven Marines. By his courage, dynamic leadership and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of grave personal danger, First Lieutenant Gross contributed significantly to the accomplishment of his unit’s mission and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service.