The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Second Lieutenant Olav Jon Espenes (MCSN: 0-105504), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as a Platoon Commander with Company G, Second Battalion, Fifth Marines, FIRST Marine Division (Rein.), FMF, in connection with operations against the enemy in the Republic of Vietnam. On 18 August 1968, while participating in Operation MAMELUKE THRUST, Company G was assigned to assault the fortified village of La Tham (1) southwest of DaNang. Arriving at an intervening stream, Second Lieutenant Espenes displaced his point element across the water, and upon reaching the other bank, the unit came under intense automatic weapons and anti-tank rocket fire from a numerically superior North Vietnamese Army force. Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Second Lieutenant Espenes fearlessly swam across the fire-swept stream and organized the beleaguered unit for an assault on an enemy machine gun emplacement. After twice being repulsed by the heavy volume of enemy fire, he again aggressively led his unit toward the hostile position, repeatedly exposing himself to the intense fire as he directed the movement of his men. Then, completely disregarding his own safety, he boldly stood erect in the hazardous area and destroyed the hostile machine gun position with a light anti-tank assault weapon. Reacting immediately to the decreased intensity of the enemy fire, he established a base of fire which enabled an adjacent platoon to conduct an assault on the village. His heroic and timely actions were instrumental in his unit accounting for thirty-seven North Vietnamese soldiers killed and over seven tons of rice and numerous weapons captured. By his courage, aggressive fighting spirit and unwavering devotion to duty, Second Lieutenant Espenes inspired all who observed him and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service.