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 Specialist Fifth Class Ernesto F. Martinez, Jr. (ASN: RA-18769288), United States Army, for exceptionally valorous actions on the morning of 10 February 1968, while serving as a Tactical Operations Specialist with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3d Brigade, 9th Infantry Division, during a mortar and rocket attack on the brigade’s base camp at Tan An, Vietnam. When many serious casualties were taken during the initial barrage, Specialist Martinez volunteered to leave the safety of his duty station in the Tactical Operations Center and gave medical aid to the wounded. With complete disregard for his own personal safety, Specialist Martinez braved intense mortar, rocket and small arms fire to run 200 meters to the base camp’s aid station, secure a medical kit and run to the scene of the heaviest fighting. There he moved from bunker to bunker, treating the most serious wounds of his injured comrades. Although blown off his feet and wounded by the blast of an exploding enemy rocket, Specialist Martinez continued to administer aid to the casualties until ordered to seek attention for his own wounds an hour and a half later. Specialist Five Martinez’s extraordinary heroism in close combat against a Viet Cong force is in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflects great credit upon himself, the 9th Infantry Division and the United States Army.