The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting a Gold Star in lieu of a Second Award of the Silver Star to Captain James L. Williams (MCSN: 0-81120), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as Commanding Officer of Company H, Second Battalion, Fourth Marines, Ninth Marine Amphibious Brigade, in connection with combat operations against the enemy in the Republic of Vietnam. On the morning of 30 April 1968, when one of his platoons came under intense enemy fire as it moved to reconnoiter suspected enemy activity in the hamlet of Dong Hoan in Quang Tri Province, Captain Williams quickly and skillfully assembled his widely separated and dispersed platoons for an attack on the hamlet. Although his maneuver required extensive movement across open rice paddies, under sporadic enemy artillery and rocket fire, no friendly casualties were sustained. Then, effectively utilizing artillery, close air support, helicopter gunships and screening agents to cover his unit’s movement, he maneuvered his entire company toward its objective on the northeast bank of the Cua Viet River, crawling across 2,000 meters of open rice paddies and crossing a stream approximately twenty meters wide. After reassembling his platoons in preparation for the assault, Captain Williams made maximum use of supporting arms and personally led his assault elements forward, despite extremely heavy fire from an estimated reinforced battalion of North Vietnamese Army Regulars entrenched in mutually supporting fortified positions in and around the hamlet. Repeatedly exposing himself to hostile fire, he courageously moved throughout the fire-swept area, directing and controlling supporting arms, encouraging his men and personally killing several of the enemy. Although seriously wounded by enemy hand grenade fragments, he steadfastly refused evacuation and continued to direct the actions of his men against the enemy until he collapsed and was subsequently medically evacuated. His courageous actions and aggressive determination inspired his men to continue the assault and secure their objective and were instrumental in the accomplishment of his unit’s mission. By his dynamic leadership, bold initiative and unswerving devotion to duty, Captain Williams upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service.