The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Staff Sergeant William E. Gum (MCSN: 1812620), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as Advisor to the Rung Sat Special Zone, Provisional Reconnaissance Unit, Military Assistance Command, Vietnam in connection with combat operations against the enemy in the Republic of Vietnam. On the evening of 18 April 1969, Staff Sergeant Gum was conducting an intelligence operation against a designated Viet Cong infrastructure when his six-man team came under a heavy volume of automatic weapons fire from a numerically superior hostile force. After boldly initiating an aggressive assault against the enemy unit, he was informed that one of the soldiers was an important member of the infrastructure and determined to apprehend the man, fearlessly instructed his companions to withhold their fire. While racing in pursuit of the man, Staff Sergeant Gum was wounded by a Viet Cong soldier whom he shot and killed when the man moved forward to fire a second time. Ignoring his painful injury, Staff Sergeant Gum resumed his chase and, taking advantage of natural cover, dived into a ditch. Finding it occupied by three of the enemy, he leaped out and, fearlessly engaging the men in a close-range rifle fire and grenade duel, during which he was again wounded, he killed the three soldiers. This delay having provided an opportunity for the infrastructure leader to make his escape, Staff Sergeant Gum returned to his original position and, adjusting air strikes upon the area, directed the expeditions extraction of his team. Before embarking upon the helicopter, he boldly moved about the fire-swept terrain to place smoke markers on hostile positions and thereby ensure the accuracy of subsequent air strikes. His heroic and timely actions inspired all who observed him and prevented injury or possible death to members of his reconnaissance team. By his courage, aggressive leadership and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of grave personal danger, Staff Sergeant Gum upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service.