The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Sergeant Michael Alfred Murphy (MCSN: 2058956), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as Senior Advisor/Marine Squad Leader of Combined Action Platoon I-3-9, III Marine Amphibious Force, in connection with combat operations against the enemy in the Republic of Vietnam. On the morning of 13 September 1969, a battalion of the Twenty-fire North Vietnamese Army Regiment, utilizing mortars, automatic weapons, and small arms attacked the village of An Phong in Quang Ngai Province, which was defended by Combined Action Platoon 1-3-9. Quickly analyzing the situation, Sergeant Murphy rallied his men and led an aggressive counterattack which forced the numerically superior enemy force to temporarily withdraw. While adjusting and coordinating supporting Marine artillery fire missions and helicopter gunship strikes against the disorganized enemy force, he simultaneously led a series of assaults which inflicted heavy casualties on the hostile unit. With the coming of dawn, Sergeant Murphy led a search and destroy operation in the area surrounding the village in an attempt to recover the body of a mortally wounded Marine and to prevent the North Vietnamese from reorganizing for subsequent attacks. Skillfully maneuvering through sections of the village still held by the enemy, he located the mortally wounded Marine near an enemy stronghold and in order to retrieve his comrade, directed a spirited attack against the stronghold which resulted in the deaths of three additional hostile soldiers and the recovery of the fallen Marine. Completely disregarding his own safety, he moved throughout the fire-swept area shouting instructions and encouragement and directing the fire of his Marines and Popular Forces soldiers against the withdrawing enemy. When the enemy force counterattacked, Sergeant Murphy directed additional helicopter strikes on them and personally covered the evacuation of casualties to more tenable locations with accurate machine gun fire, accounting for more North Vietnamese soldiers killed. By his courage, fold fighting spirit, selfless devotion to duty at great personal risk, Sergeant Murphy inspired all who served with him and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service.