The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Hospitalman James R. Gibson, Jr. (NSN: 6925568), United States Navy, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as a Corpsman attached to Company M, Third Battalion, Seventh Marines, FIRST Marine Division, in the Republic of Vietnam, on 25 December 1965. During a search and clear operation, a squad of the platoon to which Hospitalman Gibson was attached was pinned down by enemy machine-gun fire. Upon hearing the call for a Corpsman, he immediately ran to three wounded Marines, selflessly ignoring extremely heavy and accurate machine-gun fire. After treating two Marines, he boldly moved amid a hail of bullets to the third casualty and, seeing that he was critically wounded, called for help in moving him clear of the killing zone. At this time, the Marine giving help was also seriously wounded. Hospitalman Gibson, with the aid of another Marine, moved this latest casualty to cover where he calmly and expertly administered first aid. All through the twenty-minute fire fight, he moved back and forth through the intense fire, giving aid to the fallen Marines. By his daring actions and loyal devotion to duty in the face of great personal risk, Hospitalman Gibson upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.