The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Captain Thomas M. Cooper (MCSN: 0-85558), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as Commanding Officer of Company D, First Battalion, Seventh Marines. FIRST Marine Division in connection with operations against the enemy in the Republic of Vietnam. On the afternoon of 16 February 1969, Company D was conducting a search and destroy operation in Quang Nam Province when the Marines became heavily engaged with a large North Vietnamese Army force occupying a well-entrenched position. Rapidly assessing the situation. Captain Cooper skillfully coordinated as assault with supporting tanks, and boldly moving from his relatively safe location to the point squad, he aggressively led his men in an attack against the hostile unit. Alertly observing two of the enemy crawling into a covered position, he aggressively assaulted the hostile emplacement with two other Marines, boldly firing his rifle and hurling hand grenades until the two enemy soldiers were killed. When elements of the point platoon came under intense enemy sniper fire after securing their objective, he ably deployed his men and directed them in silencing the hostile fire. Ignoring the enemy rounds impacting near him, he fearlessly moved about the hazardous area, shouting orders and words of encouragement to his Marines as he supervised the establishment of a helicopter landing zone and the medical evacuation of casualties, and directed artillery fire upon the North Vietnamese force to within seventy-five meters of his own lines. By his courage, aggressive leadership and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of great personal danger, Captain Cooper was instrumental in his company’s accounting for sixteen North Vietnamese soldiers killed and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service.