The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Sergeant Michael Lee Keddy (MCSN: 2027455), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as a Platoon Sergeant with Company D, First Reconnaissance Battalion, FIRST Marine Division (Rein.), FMF, in connection with combat operations against the enemy in the Republic of Vietnam. On 6 May 1968, Sergeant Keddy’s nine-man reconnaissance patrol was inserted deep into hostile territory along the Dong Suong River following two unsuccessful insertion attempts due to hostile fire the previous day. Upon landing, the patrol immediately moved to a position on the high ground where it could observe enemy movement along the river. Late that night, the enemy began probing the Marines’ concealed position with automatic weapons and hand grenades in an attempt to pinpoint their exact location. Exposing himself to the hostile fire, Sergeant Keddy moved from one man to another directing each man to hold his fire, thereby maintaining his patrol’s undisclosed position until the enemy broke contact. On the morning of 7 May as he was moving his patrol to a more advantageous observation position, the enemy again proved the area by fire. Remaining calm, Sergeant Keddy called for an aerial observer and directed his men to keep moving in order to prevent the enemy from locating the patrol. Informed by the aerial observer that his unit was surrounded by a fifty-man North Vietnamese Army force he requested fixed-wing air support and began moving out of the hazardous area. As he was leading his patrol along a ridge he encountered three North Vietnamese and aggressively attacked the enemy single-handed, killing one soldier and wounding two others with accurate fire. Moments later, his patrol engaged the remainder of the North Vietnamese force and Sergeant Keddy was seriously wounded in the right leg. Ignoring his extremely painful wounds, he steadfastly continued to lead his men, moving them to a landing zone for extraction as supporting aircraft dropped a riot-control agent into the area. When the extraction helicopter arrived four hours later, he directed the aircraft into the zone and ensured that all his men had embarked before he boarded. Then, suffering from his wound and the loss of blood, he collapsed. By his courage, inspiring leadership and selfless devotion to duty at great personal risk, Sergeant Keddy contributed materially to the accomplishment of his unit’s mission and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service.