The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Private First Class Ronald Lee Centers (MCSN: 2128537), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving with Company H, Second Battalion, Fourth Marines, during Operation STARLIGHT in the Republic of Vietnam. On 18 August 1965, Private First Class Centers’ platoon was subjected to and pinned down by intense small arms, recoilless rifle and fifty caliber machine gun fire, delivered by insurgent communist (Viet Cong) forces in well entrenched positions approximately seventy meters to their front. Observing that two members of his platoon were wounded by a sudden burst of fifty caliber machine gun fire, Private First Class Centers unhesitatingly left his covered position and boldly traversed open terrain, raked with fire, to reach and assist his wounded comrades to cover. Having aided these Marines, he again disregarded the serious jeopardy to his own life, and, in company with another Marine, defying the devastating enemy fire, aggressively assaulted a position from which a fifty caliber machine gun and several grenade launchers were being employed with disastrous effects on the Marines. Succeeding in silencing the machine gun, he turned his deadly fire on the grenadiers, only to find that the machine gun had been manned by another team. With continuing effectiveness the two Marines combined rifle fire and M-79 grenade fire, succeeding in completely destroying the enemy position. The bold and selfless actions of the two Marines resulted in the killing of fourteen Viet Cong and the capture of weapons and equipment. By his inspiring devotion to duty throughout, Private First Class Centers enabled the platoon to move forward and accomplish its mission and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service.