The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to First Lieutenant Richard C. Hoffman (MCSN: 0-105132), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as a Platoon Commander with Company M, Third Battalion, Third Marines, Third Marine Division in connection with operations against the enemy in the Republic of Vietnam. On 17 June 1969, while First Lieutenant Hoffman’s platoon was conducting a search and destroy operation in the Dong Ha area, the lead squad came under a heavy volume of small arms and automatic weapons fire from a North Vietnamese Army unit occupying well-concealed bunkers. Observing two wounded Marines fall in an area dangerously exposed to the hostile fire, First Lieutenant Hoffman unhesitatingly left his position of relative security and fearlessly moving across the fire-swept terrain to a forward position, skillfully deployed his remaining men in effective fighting positions to assist the beleaguered squad. Then with complete disregard for his own safety, he raced across forty meters of open rice paddy and dragged the two casualties to the safety of a nearby bomb crater to await medical evacuation. Rejoining his unit, be boldly initiated an aggressive assault against an enemy machine gun emplacement, enabling his men to silence the North Vietnamese fire from this point. Seeing another injured man fall, First Lieutenant Hoffman directed his men to provide coving fire as he fearlessly ran to the man’s side and although becoming a vulnerable target for North Vietnamese Army snipers, boldly carried the injured man to a covered position. By his courage, bold initiative and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of grave personal danger, First Lieutenant Hoffman was instrumental in saved the lives of several Marines and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service.