The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Sergeant Joseph A. Rayo (MCSN: 1832266), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as Weapons Platoon Commander with Company E, Second Battalion, First Marines, FIRST Marine Division (Rein.), FMF, in connection with combat operations against insurgent communist (Viet Cong) forces in the Republic of Vietnam on 9 September 1966, In the vicinity of Dien Ban District in Quang Nam Province, Sergeant Rayo’s company was moving across open rice paddies toward a hamlet suspected of being a Viet Cong stronghold when it came under a devastating volume of automatic weapons fire from concealed enemy positions within the hamlet. Although the heavy enemy fire pinned down the point squad and disrupted the advance of the entire company, Sergeant Rayo led a two man 60-mm. mortar crew through withering small arms and automatic weapons fire to a forward position where he could adjust mortar fire directly on the Viet Cong positions. Fearlessly exposing himself, he continued to direct the mortar fire against the enemy’s automatic weapons. Almost immediately, his position received a heavy volume of machine gun fire, fatally wounding one of his team members. Disregarding the danger, Sergeant Rayo repeatedly exposed himself to the enemy fire in order to continue directing counter fire and to administer aid to the mortally wounded Marine. His heroic actions undoubtedly prevented further casualties to his unit and silenced the enemy automatic weapons, enabling the company to overrun the Viet Cong position. By his courage, leadership, initiative and loyal devotion to duty, Sergeant Rayo upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service.