The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Staff Sergeant Dean T. Lund (MCSN: 1572519), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving with Company A, First Tank Battalion, FIRST Marine Division (Rein.), FMF, in connection with combat operations against insurgent communist (Viet Cong) forces in the Republic of Vietnam. On 6 February 1968, Staff Sergeant Lund was a member of a Southern Sector Defense Command Reaction Force participating in a company-size search and destroy operation in the vicinity of Tuy Loan Hamlet (1) in Quang Nam Province. Late in the afternoon, his platoon was moving across an open field toward a tree line when it suddenly came under intense machine gun and automatic weapons fire from a heavily fortified enemy force entrenched in the tree line. In the initial moments of the fire fight, the platoon sustained several casualties and was temporarily pinned down by the heavy volume of enemy fire. Observing that four Marines were pinned down by fire from an enemy machine gun position, Staff Sergeant Lund unhesitatingly disregarded his own safety, ran forward and threw a hand grenade into the enemy emplacement, destroying the position. Displaying exceptional courage, and repeatedly ignoring the hostile fire around him, he selflessly attacked the enemy positions with hand grenades, significantly decreasing the hostile fire in the area and enabling the Marines to maneuver to covered positions. During the ensuing fire fight, Staff Sergeant Lund rallied his companions, aided the wounded and directed effective fire against the enemy. When two amphibian tractors arrived to evacuate the casualties, he fearlessly led the vehicles throughout the fire-swept area, contributing immeasurably to the orderly and expeditious movement of the wounded from the hazardous area. Although sustaining painful fragmentation wounds to his face, Staff Sergeant Lund steadfastly continued to encourage and assist those around him and subsequently accompanied the platoon as it advanced through the enemy positions and secured the area. His indomitable fighting spirit and sincere concern for his fellow Marines inspired all who observed him, undoubtedly were instrumental in saving several Marine lives and contributed immeasurably to the accomplishment of his unit’s mission. By his extraordinary courage, bold initiative and selfless devotion to duty at great personal risk, Staff Sergeant Lund upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service.