The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to First Lieutenant [then Second Lieutenant] Paul Robert McConnell (MCSN: 0-101651), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as a Platoon Commander with Company E, Second Battalion, Fifth Marines, FIRST Marine Division (Reinforced), FMF, in connection with operations against the enemy in the Republic of Vietnam. On 22 April 1968, First Lieutenant McConnell was maneuvering his platoon across a large, exposed rice paddy as point element of a company-sized operation near Hue City in Thua Thien Province, when the Marines came under a heavy volume of small arms and automatic weapons fire accompanied by anti-tank rockets. Unhesitatingly exposing himself to the hostile fire, he ran from one squad position to another, directing sustained, accurate fire upon the enemy emplacements which enabled a second platoon to move into position on his right flank. When intense fire inflicted casualties upon that unit and pinned it down, First Lieutenant McConnell resourcefully directed the fire of his men along the two fronts and, by skillfully adjusting supporting artillery fire on the hostile soldiers, enabled the adjacent platoon to regroup and deploy to a more tenable location. Fully aware that he faced a numerically superior force, he fearlessly elected to maintain contact to prevent the enemy from retreating from strikes by fixed wing aircraft. Volunteering to lead a night company attack on the hamlet stronghold of the hostile unit, he commenced an aggressive assault across the rice paddy which completely disorganized the surprised enemy soldiers, resulting in their annihilation and the capture of all their weapons and equipment. The following morning, First Lieutenant McConnell was deploying his men toward another hamlet when they were temporarily pinned down by intense fire from their left flank. Standing in full view of the enemy unit, he rallied his platoon and initiated a rapid attack which overran the hostile position, and resulted in no Marine casualties and seventeen enemy killed. By his courage, tireless initiative and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of grave personal danger, First Lieutenant McConnell 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.