The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Hospital Corpsman First Class Robert R. Sell (NSN: 6895214), United States Navy, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity as a U.S. Navy Corpsman, in action on 25 February 1968, while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in armed conflict against communist insurgent (Viet Cong) forces, in the Republic of Vietnam. As an advisor to the Provincial Reconnaissance Unit (PRU) in Bac Lieu Province, Petty Officer Sell directed the Bac Lieu PRU in a daring attack to capture high-ranking members of the Viet Cong infrastructure. When the nine-man assault element Petty Officer Sell was accompanying was attacked by a numerically superior enemy force and was in danger of being completely overrun, he courageously led his men forward in the face of the attackers to more defensible positions and repulsed the assault. With the PRU defensive positions temporarily secure, Petty Officer Sell, without regard for his personal safety, moved alone across several hundred meters of open rice fields, exposed to heavy small-arms and automatic weapons fire, t the positions of a PRU reaction force. He then fearlessly led the reaction force in an attack on the Viet Cong flank and, in fierce fighting, drove the enemy from their positions, inflicting heavy casualties on them. Throughout the enemy counterattack, Petty Officer Sell, again ignoring the grave danger to his own life, moved constantly around the defensive perimeter directing effective fire on the attacking enemy. The enemy retreated, again suffering heavy casualties, and broke contact with Petty Officer Sell’s unit. By his courage under fire, outstanding professionalism, and devotion to duty, Petty Officer Sell enabled the unit he was advising to successfully withstand repeated enemy assaults and yet gain its objective, thereby upholding the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.