The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Silver Star (Posthumously) to Lance Corporal Richard Anthony Caruolo (MCSN: 2011788), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action with Company K, Third Battalion, Seventh Marines, in the Republic of Vietnam on 22 March 1966. At dusk Company K suddenly came under intense mortar, small-arms, machine gun, and M-79 grenade launcher fire from a well-concealed and entrenched Viet Cong Battalion near the hamlet of Phuoc Loc (1). The initial volley of enemy fire was of such vicious intensity that four members were wounded and the remainder were driven back to a shallow ditch to the rear, where they became pinned down. Noticing a seriously wounded comrade lying exposed to the hail of enemy fire forty meters to his front, Corporal Caruolo unhesitatingly jumped from his position of relative safety and ran to his aid. The wounded Marine was too heavy to lift, yet Corporal Caruolo struggled until a hospital corpsman arrived and assisted him in carrying the wounded Marine across the fire-swept ground to the vicinity of the ditch. As they halted briefly to lift him up across the embankment, a burst of enemy machine gun fire struck the group, mortally wounding Corporal Caruolo. In being the first to brave the enemy fire to evacuate wounded, Corporal Caruolo set an example followed by other Marines which resulted in the successful evacuation of all the wounded. His courageous actions were in keeping with the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life in the cause of freedom.