The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Lance Corporal Garrette W. Peck, III (MCSN: 2180320), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against insurgent Communist Viet Cong forces in the Republic of Vietnam while serving with Company H, Second Battalion, Ninth Marines, on 2 August 1966. Assigned as a Grenadier with the Third Platoon of Company H, Lance Corporal Peck was on a reconnaissance mission with two other men approximately 200 meters in front of his platoon, scouting a railroad bridge located in Quang Nam Province, 18 miles Southwest of DaNang. When about 150 meters out, in the approximate center of the bridge, a sudden burst of small arms fire from snipers concealed on the bridge felled and seriously wounded the Squad leader. Lance Corporal Peck was about 40 meters from the fallen Marine, and in a position to withdraw to safety. Without hesitation, he moved forward through the hail of intense fire and, as he worked his way further out on the bridge, the firing increased in volume when another group of the Viet Cong opened fire from the opposite bank of the river. With complete disregard for his own personal safety, and in the face of intense enemy small arms fire from two positions, Lance Corporal Peck covered the remaining distance to the severely wounded Squad Leader. Recognizing the necessity for immediate medical attention before any movement was attempted, he applied battle dressings to the profusely bleeding leg wound and then carried him back to a position of safety at the end of the bridge. As the platoon Corpsman took over, Lance Corporal Peck, having armed himself with his stricken comrade’s M-14 rifle in addition to his own M-79 Grenade Launcher and a .45 caliber pistol, although being wounded returned to the bridge and took up a position where he delivered devastating fire on the sniper’s position. In accomplishing this, he enabled his platoon to move automatic weapons into position and gain fire superiority over the enemy on the opposite bank of the river. As a direct result of his professional abilities and stirring examples of courage, the Viet Cong withdrew and the objective was secured without further casualties. Lance Corporal Peck’s gallant fighting spirit, unrelenting perseverance, and steadfast devotion to duty reflected great credit upon himself and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service.