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 Sergeant First Class [then Sergeant] Gary E. Nystrom, United States Army, for gallantry in action while engaged in military operations in the Republic of Vietnam, on 16 June 1966, as a member of the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces. On that date, a United States observation aircraft was shot down near Dak To, Republic of Vietnam. An Air Force rescue team was driven from the crash site by 12.7-mm. and other automatic fire. Fully aware of the extreme danger involved, Sergeant Nystrom volunteered to join a three-man group attempting to reach the crew via a makeshift one hundred-twenty-foot rope ladder which was to be suspended from a helicopter and protected by United States Army and United States Air Force tactical aircraft. Even when intense fire drove them once from the site, Sergeant Nystrom insisted on being the first man down the ladder when the helicopter could return. Drawing fire while on the ladder, he calmly returned the fire and continued. Reaching the ground he chose not to seek the nearby cover but remained standing in the only open area and stabilized the twisting ladder for the others. Sergeant Nystrom took charge of the inexperienced men within the small group and formed a “roving perimeter” around the crash. When they were attacked by an enemy force of unknown size, Sergeant Nystrom’s accurate firepower figured heavily in driving the enemy back with several known dead. After securing the bodies of the crew he then volunteered to remain on the ground with the officer in charge and cover the two weaker Americans as they attempted to escape via the ladder. When the officer with him was wounded during another attack, Sergeant Nystrom again aided greatly in beating back the North Vietnamese with more losses. He then insisted on the wounded man preceding him up the ladder to safety while he followed and provided as much covering fire as possible from the swinging ladder. Twice more during this climb he returned the fire of the enemy. Sergeant Nystrom’s numerous and selfless acts of valor, the constant offering of his life to help insure direct and accurate hostile automatic fire and his insistence upon taking the most dangerous part of all missions reflect the highest credit upon himself, the corps of noncommissioned officers, the United States Special Forces, and the United States Army.