The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Second Lieutenant John Robert Hewitt (MCSN: 0-101979), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as a Platoon Commander with Company K, Third Battalion, Fifth Marines, FIRST Marine Division, during combat operations against the enemy in the Republic of Vietnam. On 6 February 1968, Second Lieutenant Hewitt’s platoon was attached to Company G, Second Battalion, Third Marines during an attempt to encircle a North Vietnamese Army force in the village of Phong Luc (1) in Quang Nam Province. Maneuvering along a tree line, a platoon from Company G became heavily engaged with the enemy and Second Lieutenant Hewitt unhesitatingly led his platoon in a counterattack against the hostile positions. Advancing into a clearing, his platoon came under intense enemy fire and sustained several casualties. Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Second Lieutenant Hewitt, armed only with a pistol, led an aggressive assault against an enemy machine gun position, killing several North Vietnamese soldiers and seizing the tree line. Simultaneously, enemy fire erupted from another tree line and, although painfully wounded in the leg, he ran 200 meters to a tank, directed it to the area of heaviest fighting on the Marines’ right flank and began supervising the evacuation of the casualties aboard the vehicle. Observing a North Vietnamese soldier advancing from a tree line to deliver automatic weapons fire on the Marines, he quickly killed the enemy and then rallied his men, directing them to withdraw while air strikes and artillery fire were called in on the hostile positions. Throughout the fire fight, he selflessly refused medical attention for his own wounds and steadfastly remained with his platoon, inspiring his men in repulsing the enemy force. By his dynamic leadership, courage and unfaltering devotion to duty, Second Lieutenant Hewitt upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service.