The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Lance Corporal Gary W. Much (MCSN: 2082695), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as an Antitank Assault Squad Leader with Company L, Third Battalion, Twenty-Seventh Marines, First Marine Division in connection with operations against the enemy in the Republic of Vietnam. On 18 May 1968 during Operation Allen Brook, elements of Companies L and M were pinned down by machine gun, automatic weapons and small arms fire from well concealed, fortified and mutually supporting North Vietnamese Army positions in a tree line. Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Lance Corporal Much quickly moved to the point of heaviest contact and, standing in the open exposed to hostile fire, began delivering 3.5 inch rockets into the enemy positions. Ignoring the enemy fire all around him, he steadfastly maintained his position in the hazardous area until he had expended all of his ammunition. Obtaining a resupply, he then continued to deliver a heavy volume of accurate fire on the enemy fortifications, sufficiently suppressing hostile fire to enable the beleaguered Marines to move to positions of safety. By his courage, bold initiative and selfless devotion to duty at great personal risk, Lance Corporal Much was instrumental in the subsequent defeat of the enemy and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service.