The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Staff Sergeant Andrew Thomas Dye (MCSN: 1864613), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action as an M-79 and hand grenade and grenadier and shot gunner during the defense of the United States Military Province Hospital Assistance Program Team N-2 Compound, Hoi An, Quang Nam Province, Republic of Vietnam, on 27 August 1967. Although subjected to intense mortar fire, Staff Sergeant Dye resolutely remained at his post, a vital and commanding machine gun position on top of the flat roof of a building in the north-central portion of the compound. The enemy having succeeded in penetrating the city defenses, launched an attack on the MILPHAP Team Compound. From his exposed position on the roof, in spite of intense mortar and small arms fire, Staff Sergeant Dye assumed command of the machine gun position and directed its effective and massive fire against the Viet Cong attacking from the east, reinforcing the machine gun fire with M-79 grenade launcher, thus suppressing the enemy supporting fires to a great degree. Upon becoming aware of the breaching of the eastern perimeter fence by an estimated platoon, Staff Sergeant Dye engaged the penetrating force with his shotgun and by hurling hand grenades among the attackers in the penetration, effectively pinning the enemy down and causing heavy enemy casualties while urging his machine gunner to intensify his efforts preventing reinforcement of the penetration. When a hand grenade exploded in his position blowing Staff Sergeant Dye and the others out of the position, he repelled an enemy attempt to scale the ladder to his position and continued to keep the enemy pinned down to be eliminated by other compound defenders. By his action Staff Sergeant Dye delivered a heavy volume of effective fire against the attackers, suppressed the enemy supporting fires, prevented the reinforcement or exploitation of the penetration into the compound, and contained the enemy in the penetration, thereby permitting other defenders to eliminate the enemy threat within the compound. Staff Sergeant Dye’s conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.