The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Lance Corporal Charles Richard Castillo (MCSN: 2311620), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving with the Security Platoon, Sub-Unit One, Headquarters Company, Twenty-Sixth Marines (Forward), NINTH Marine Amphibious Brigade in connection with operations against the enemy in the Republic of Vietnam. In the early morning hours of 6 June 1967, Lance Corporal Castillo, along with seventeen men, was defending a vital radio relay position on Hill 950 near Khe Sanh, which came under intense enemy small arms, automatic weapons, mortar and rocket fire, followed by an assault by an estimated ninety North Vietnamese Regulars. Almost immediately, six Marines were killed and four were seriously wounded. Unhesitatingly, Lance Corporal Castillo exposed himself to enemy fire and assisted in effectively halting enemy penetration attempts by delivering a heavy volume of accurate fire on the hostile force. Throughout the remaining hours of darkness, he repeatedly exposed himself to enemy machine gun fire to prevent the North Vietnamese from outflanking and overrunning his position and, on one occasion, crawled forward, surprising three of the enemy and killed them. When, after several hours of continuous combat, the Marines’ weapons began malfunctioning, Lance Corporal Castillo daringly crawled forward and obtained four weapons from the enemy dead, which enabled his men to continue fighting. At dawn, when the few uninjured Marines launched a counterattack, he outflanked the enemy and delivered a heavy volume of accurate fire, materially assisting in overrunning a machine gun emplacement and routing the enemy from the hill. He aggressively continued to pursue the fleeing enemy until he was restrained by his squad leader. His exemplary leadership and aggressive fighting spirit were instrumental in the defeat of the enemy and were an inspiration to all who observed him. By his steadfast courage, resolute determination and selfless devotion to duty, Lance Corporal Castillo upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service.