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 Sergeant First Class George William Harris (ASN: RA-11301176), United States Army, for gallantry in action while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force while serving with Detachment A-302, Company A, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces, in the Republic of Vietnam. Sergeant First Class Harris distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous action on 26 May 1967 while serving as Special Forces Commander of a Vietnamese reconnaissance platoon during a search and destroy mission near Tong Le Chon. When two Vietnamese companies made contact with Viet Cong, they deployed for an advance into the hostile positions with Sergeant Harris’ platoon in the lead. His unit soon received fire from an enemy company guarding the base camp. Heedless of booby traps and intense machine gun fire from fortified positions, Sergeant Harris led his men into the midst of the Viet Cong fortifications. When a burst of hostile fire killed a machine gun crew next to him and severely wounded him in the right shoulder, he picked up the machine gun and continued the assault. Reaching the first bunker, he killed the two insurgents inside, then rallied his men to continue the attack. While pressing the assault, Sergeant Harris was mortally wounded. Sergeant First Class Harris’ gallantry in action, at the cost of his life, was in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflects great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.