The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Staff Sergeant William Wallace Chapman (MCSN: 1920454), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity while serving as a Platoon Sergeant with Company B, First Battalion, Ninth Marines, THIRD Marine Division, in connection with combat operations against the enemy in the Republic of Vietnam. On 22 August 1968, while Staff Sergeant Chapman was leading a reconnaissance in force northeast of the Rock Pile, the Marines came under a heavy volume of automatic weapons fire followed by a ground attack by two North Vietnamese Army battalions supported by mortar fire. Staff Sergeant Chapman positioned his squads to prevent encirclement, then skillfully adjusted fixed-wing air strikes and supporting artillery fire upon the enemy. Observing a severely wounded Marine lying only five feet from an enemy machine gun position, he boldly ran across the hazardous area and pulled his companion to a covered position. During the ensuing fierce engagement, Staff Sergeant Chapman, in a superb display of courage and composure under fire, repeatedly exposed himself to the North Vietnamese Army fire while he shouted words of encouragement and instructions to his men, directed their suppressive fire, supervised the distribution of ammunition, and continued adjusting supporting arms fire upon the hostile soldiers. With the arrival of a reaction force, he was directed to break contact, and again crawling across the dangerous terrain, he recovered another seriously injured comrade before organizing his men for an orderly withdrawal to a more tenable position. Throughout the night, Staff Sergeant Chapman continually patrolled his portion of the defensive perimeter, and the following morning, despite an intense enemy mortar attack, he was instrumental in leading the patrol through unprotected terrain to the company area. By his courage, aggressive leadership, and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of grave personal danger, Staff Sergeant Chapman upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service.