The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to First Lieutenant Philip Owen Brady (MCSN: 0-82115), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action on 31 December 1964, while serving as Battalion Advisor with friendly foreign forces engaged in armed conflict against the insurgent communist guerrilla forces (Viet Cong). Lieutenant Brady accompanied the 4th Battalion in the late afternoon in order to retrieve bodies, U.S. and Vietnamese, from the wreckage of a downed U.S. helicopter at the site where the 2d Company had been ambushed that morning. The battalion was taken under heavy assault by an estimated Viet Cong Regiment. Fighting against superior odds of men and ground weapons, the 4th Battalion lost its two senior officers. Using all his knowledge of communications and available air support, Lieutenant Brady assisted the confused battalion in extracting itself from its untenable position and in its withdrawal to the village of Binh Gia. Once there, he immediately set about rearming and reorganizing the scattered battalion, informed higher headquarters of his predicament and eventually helped bring order out of chaos. By his daring actions and loyal devotion to duty in the face of personal risk, First Lieutenant Brady upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.