The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 8, 1918 (amended by act of July 25, 1963), takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Staff Sergeant Windell L. Crowell, United States Army, for gallantry in connection with military operations against an opposing armed force while serving with Battery C, 1st Battalion (Automatic Weapons) (Self Propelled), 44th Artillery Regiment, 108th Artillery Group, on 12 March 1970, in the Republic of Vietnam. Staff Sergeant Crowell distinguished himself while serving as a Section Chief on a twin 40-mm. anti-aircraft weapon, track mounted, at the Khe Gio Bridge. In the early morning hours, the position came under intense enemy mortar and small arms fire, which was followed by a ground attack by a company-size Sapper force. During the initial attack, Sergeant Crowell moved, under intense fire, from bunker to bunker to organize the efforts of his men and to check on those wounded in action. As the intensity of the mortar fire lessened and the Sapper attack began, he rallied his men to their track, and when the guns failed to fire, he moved them through intense enemy fire to another track. Disregarding his own safety, he began passing ammunition and directed the retaliatory fire of his men, which was instrumental in repulsing the attack on the northwest perimeter. When the guns of the second track ceased to fire, he had the track move from bunker to bunker to pick up wounded men, and then he directed the orderly withdrawal of his men to Fire Support Base Tan Lam. Staff Sergeant Crowell’s extraordinary heroism in close combat against a numerically superior force was in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflects great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.