The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Private First Class Gordon Arthur Gustafson (MCSN: 2259807), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as a Machine Gunner with Company F, Second Battalion, Twenty-Sixth Marines, THIRD Marine Division in connection with operations against the enemy in the Republic of Vietnam. On 16 May 1967, in the vicinity of Phu Oc in Quang Tri Province, Private First Class Gustafson’s company became heavily engaged with an estimated battalion of North Vietnamese Army soldiers entrenched in reinforced bunkers and sustained numerous casualties. Immediately evaluating the situation, Private First Class Gustafson aggressively advanced through enemy automatic weapons fire to a position ten meters from the bunkers and, with complete disregard for his own safety, placed himself between the North Vietnamese and his wounded companions. From his exposed position, he delivered accurate covering fire, which enabled all the wounded to be evacuated. When his machine gun team suffered numerous casualties, he steadfastly remained in position directing fire against the enemy, and on one occasion, after expending his ammunition supply, ran back to a covered area for more ammunition and courageously returned to his exposed position to resume firing. While he directed fire at the entrenched enemy, the concussion of an exploding enemy hand grenade momentarily stunned him; however he quickly recovered and continued to bring a heavy volume of machine gun fire to bear on the entrenched enemy. As a result of his aggressive actions, he succeeded in destroying an enemy automatic weapons position and was instrumental in saving the lives of numerous Marines. By his steadfast courage, fearless initiative and selfless devotion to duty at great personal risk, Private First Class Gustafson contributed immediately to the accomplishment of his unit’s mission and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service.