The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Second Lieutenant William Ray Melton (MCSN: 0-103896), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as a Platoon Commander with Company F, Second Battalion, Fifth Marines, FIRST Marine Division (Rein.), FMF, in connection with combat operations against the enemy in the Republic of Vietnam. On the afternoon of 30 September 1968, Company F was advancing toward fortified positions near the village of Le Nam in Quang Nam Province during Operation MAMELUKE THRUST when the Marines came under intense automatic weapons and small arms fire from a North Vietnamese Army company occupying a fortified position in a densely wooded area. Unhesitatingly, Second Lieutenant Melton boldly led his platoon in a determined assault on the enemy fortifications until the Marines were temporarily pinned down by a heavy volume of automatic weapons fire from a large North Vietnamese command bunker and sustained several casualties. Observing two men fall wounded in an area dangerously exposed to the enemy fire, Second Lieutenant Melton fearlessly maneuvered across the fire-swept terrain on two separate occasions in order to assist his companions to a more secure location. Completely disregarding his own safety, he obtained several hand grenades and under accurate covering fire from a rifleman, fearlessly approached the firing aperture of the structure and placed his grenades within the fortification, killing six North Vietnamese soldiers. Ignoring the rounds impacting near him, Second Lieutenant Melton swiftly reorganized his inspired men and directed them in a final assault through the enemy defenses which was instrumental in his company accounting for twenty-seven hostile soldiers killed and numerous weapons and three enemy captured. By his courage, superb leadership and steadfast devotion to duty in the face of great personal danger, Second Lieutenant Melton 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.