The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 8, 1918 (amended by act of July 25, 1963), takes pride in presenting the Silver Star (Posthumously) to Private First Class Walter Brown (ASN: RA-11860007), United States Army, for gallantry in action against a hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam, on 18 July 1967. On that date, Company B, 1st Battalion, 2d Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, was conducting a search and destroy operation in the rugged jungle area northeast of Bien Hoa. Private First Class Brown, a rifleman, was moving with the lead platoon as they began their entry into a Viet Cong base camp that had been bombarded by artillery for the preceding hour. Suddenly, they were attacked by an insurgent force with small arms, automatic weapons and claymore mines. As several casualties were immediately sustained by his unit, Private First Class Brown unhesitatingly moved forward to lay down a base of fire to prevent the advance of the enemy and to permit the evacuation of his wounded comrades. As the battle increased in intensity, the Viet Cong detonated a claymore mine which wounded Private First Class Brown and several other soldiers. Three of his comrades who were wounded by the blast were lying in an open area. Accurate automatic weapon fire from an enemy emplacement prevented the extraction of the casualties. Although he was wounded himself, Private First Class Brown completely disregarded his personal safety and charged the Viet Cong bunker in an attempt to destroy it with a grenade. During this action, he was mortally wounded by a command detonated claymore mine. His dauntless courage during the battle strongly motivated his comrades to continue their fight until the enemy force was routed from the area. Private First Class Brown’s unquestionable valor in close combat against numerically superior hostile forces is in keeping with the finest traditions of the military service and reflects great credit upon himself, the 1st Infantry Division and the United States Army.