The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Corporal Robert Lee Heyward (MCSN: 2236996), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as a Squad Leader with Company H, Second Battalion, Ninth Marines, THIRD Marine Division (Rein.), FMF, in connection with combat operations against the enemy in the Republic of Vietnam. On the afternoon of 1 September 1968, Corporal Heyward’s squad was conducting a patrol near Hill 503 south of the Demilitarized Zone when the Marines came under a heavy volume of automatic weapons fire and a hand grenade attack from a North Vietnamese Army platoon occupying fortified positions. During the initial moments of the fire fight, the squad became pinned down and two wounded Marines fell in an area dangerously exposed to the intense enemy fire. Rapidly assessing the situation, Corporal Heyward directed his men to withdraw and, fearlessly disregarding his own safety, rushed across the fire-swept terrain to assist an injured man. Although sustaining wounds from the hostile fire, he resolutely remained with his wounded comrade and immediately called for covering fire from a machine gun. Realizing that the machine gunner could not observe the enemy positions, he unhesitatingly continued to expose himself to the hostile fire as he skillfully directed his comrade in delivering machine gun fire with pinpoint accuracy upon the enemy emplacements, which enabled the Marines to break contact. Steadfastly refusing medical evacuation, he then reorganized his squad and aggressively led his men in assaulting and seizing the North Vietnamese positions. By his courage, superior leadership and steadfast devotion to duty in the face of great personal danger, Corporal Heyward contributed significantly to the accomplishment of his unit’s mission and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service.