The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Sergeant Robert L. Castaneda (MCSN: 2435079), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as a Platoon Sergeant with Company B, First Reconnaissance Battalion, FIRST Marine Division (Rein.), FMF, in connection with combat operations against the enemy in the Republic of Vietnam. On 23 July 1970, while patrolling enemy-controlled territory northwest of DaNang, a seven-man long-range reconnaissance team from Company B encountered a well-armed hostile unit and, during the initial exchange of fire, three enemy soldiers were killed and the point man and radio operator of the reconnaissance team were seriously wounded. Almost immediately, intensified fire also was directed at the Marines from a second direction. In a determined effort to protect his fallen companions, Sergeant Castaneda unhesitatingly moved forward of the men and, while deploying his team to more effective fighting positions, remained in his dangerously exposed position to deliver intense covering fire until the casualties could be evacuated to covered locations. Rejoining his team, he rendered first aid to the radio operator then moved fearlessly from one Marine to another to encourage them and to ensure that every possible enemy avenue of approach was adequately covered with fire. When an aerial observer who had arrived on station was unable to pinpoint the team’s position because of the dense undergrowth, Sergeant Castaneda boldly exposed himself to the intense enemy fire to mark the team’s location and direct strafing runs on the hostile soldiers. The arrival of a medical evacuation helicopter which hovered overhead and lowered a stretcher resulted in increased hostile fire but Sergeant Castaneda, with complete disregard for his own safety, moved forward and seemingly oblivious to the enemy rounds impacting around him, placed the point man on the stretcher and directed the lift off. For more than an hour, while the determined enemy force moved closer to the Marine position, he continually moved about the area in full view of the hostile soldiers to direct the fire of his men and coordinate the activities of gunships and fixed-wing aircraft, successfully repelling repeated enemy attempts to overrun his defensive perimeter. With the return of the extraction helicopter, he directed his men to the pick up area and covered them as they secured themselves to the extraction ladder. As the team was lifting off, the enemy force surged to within five meters of the zone but Sergeant Castaneda quickly directed the suppressive fire of the Marines which killed two additional soldiers and enabled the extraction to be completed. By his courage, heroic leadership, and unfaltering devotion to duty during an extremely critical situation, Sergeant Castaneda prevented additional Marine casualties and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service.