The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Gunnery Sergeant Donald L. Ballew (MCSN: 649328), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while engaged in military operations against a hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam, on 7 February 1966. Gunnery Sergeant Ballew was accompanying the 1st Battalion, 3d Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, Army of the Republic of Vietnam, as Light Weapons Infantry Advisor as that unit advanced through dense jungle terrain under fire from the front and left flank. A maneuver element was sent to the right in an attempt to gain more favorable position, and that element came under intense machine gun and automatic weapons fire, which wounded two advisors. Gunnery Sergeant Ballew immediately began crawling, with complete disregard for his own personal safety, across ten meters of fire-swept ground to the first wounded advisor. He assisted another man in rendering first aid under fire and then, again with no thought for his own safety, began crawling across twenty meters of ground, in the face of scorching machine gun fire, to the second wounded advisor. He rendered immediate first aid under fire and then carried the wounded man to a relatively secure position. Gunnery Sergeant Ballew’s selfless actions, deep concern for his fallen comrades, and conspicuous gallantry in the face of intense enemy fire were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.