The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Major Peter E. Benet (MCSN: 0-66168), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as Executive Officer of Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron TWO HUNDRED SIXTY-THREE (HMM-263), Marine Aircraft Group Sixteen, FIRST Marine Aircraft Wing, in connection with combat operations against the enemy in the Republic of Vietnam. On the afternoon of 14 June 1970, Major Benet launched as Section Leader of a flight of two CH-46 transport helicopters assigned the emergency mission of extracting an eight-man Marine reconnaissance team which was surrounded and heavily engaged in combat with a numerically superior hostile force in a small valley in the Que Son Mountains southwest of An Hoa. Arriving over the designated area, he was briefed on the ground situation by the Tactical Air Controller (Airborne) and informed that the beleaguered patrol was running dangerously low on ammunition, that two Marines had been wounded, one critically, that the team was under an extremely heavy volume of enemy small arms and automatic weapons fire, and that the small landing zone was on a steep incline covered with dense undergrowth and surrounded by tall trees. Realizing the urgency of extracting the embattled Marines, Major Benet, without waiting for the arrival of attack aircraft, directed supporting unships to provide covering fire as he boldly maneuvered to a hover above the pick-up site and remained in his dangerously exposed position while the jungle penetrator was lowered to the ground. Forced to abort this extraction attempt when the condition of the wounded Marines precluded the use of the jungle penetrator, he completely disregarded his own safety as he skillfully maneuvered his helicopter to a landing on the edge of a bomb crater with only two of his aircraft’s wheels touching the ground. Resolutely maintaining a steady hover in the face of increased hostile fire, Major Benet fearlessly remained in his precarious position until the two casualties and the remainder of the reconnaissance team had embarked and then lifted out of the perilous area and depart ed for the hospital at DaNang. By his courage, superior professionalism, and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of great personal danger, Major Benet was instrumental in accomplishing the hazardous mission and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service.