The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Silver Star (Posthumously) to Hospital Corpsman Third Class John Edward Laning (NSN: 7794774), United States Navy, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as a Corpsman attached to Company D, First Battalion, Fourth Marines, THIRD Marine Division, in connection with operations against North Vietnamese Army forces on 8 May 1967, during Operation PRAIRIE IV, in the Republic of Vietnam. When the combat outpost at Con Thien was attacked by a numerically superior North Vietnamese Army force which penetrated the wire, with forward elements reaching the trench lines and throwing satchel charges, Petty Officer Laning, hearing the wounded cry for help, left his covered position in the Platoon Command Post and dashed across twenty-five meters of flat, fire-swept, open ground to the trenches to care for the casualties. Working sometimes by the dim light of artificial illumination and often in total darkness, he brought swift and expert care to the mounting number of casualties. When the Third Squad, which was cut off from the rest of the platoon, called for a corpsman, Petty Officer Laning left the cover of the trenches to move down to the squad’s area. While rushing to his objective in the face of a hail of enemy fire, he was shot by an enemy rifleman firing from behind the lines. Although gravely wounded, Petty Officer Laning determinedly proceeded to move forward until he was again hit by rifle fire and fell mortally wounded. By his exceptional valor and steadfast devotion to duty in the face of almost overwhelming odds, Petty Officer Laning served to inspire all who observed him and upheld the finest traditions of the United States Naval Service.