The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Captain David Lee Caldon (MCSN: 0-89878), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as Air Liaison Officer with the Second Battalion, Twenty-Sixth Marines, THIRD Marine Division, in connection with operations against the enemy in the Republic of Vietnam. On 6 April 1968, Captain Caldon was with a company-size patrol in the vicinity of Hill 558 near Khe Sanh as the unit’s Forward Air Controller, when contact was made with an entrenched company of North Vietnamese Army Regulars. During the ensuing eight hours, he fearlessly exposed himself to hostile mortar and small arms fire to locate enemy positions and control fixed-wing air strikes. When the artillery forward observer was killed by enemy fire, Captain Caldon unhesitatingly assumed his duties and coordinated artillery fire as well as air strikes on enemy emplacements. Boldly moving through the hostile fire, he established a secure landing zone for the evacuation of casualties and then returned to exposed observation points to control supporting arms fires. On one occasion, when communication with the battalion command post was lost, Captain Caldon courageously moved across the fire-swept terrain to obtain tactical information and relay it over his radio. By his courageous actions, superior professional skill and unwavering devotion to duty at great personal risk, Captain Caldon inspired all who observed him and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service.