The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Gunnery Sergeant Edwin Robert Ring (MCSN: 10201472), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as Platoon Sergeant Company C, First Battalion, Fourth Marines, THIRD Marine Division (Rein.), FMF, in connection with combat operations against the enemy in the Republic of Vietnam. On 1 March 1969, while Company C was engaged in an assault upon Hill 484 north of the Rockpile near Khe Sanh, the first platoon came under a heavy volume of enemy mortar fire. Realizing the strategic importance of the assault, Gunnery Sergeant Ring, with complete disregard for his own safety, fearlessly rushed throughout the fire-swept terrain, encouraging his men and ensuring that they were in proper assault positions. When the platoon commander was seriously wounded, Gunnery Sergeant Ring displaying superior leadership and exceptional initiative, unhesitatingly assumed command of the platoon and successfully completed the assault of the hill. Immediately returning to the wounded platoon commander, he skillfully treated his wounds, while the Corpsmen were attending other seriously wounded Marines, and proceeded to carry him towards the landing zone to await a medical evacuation helicopter when the area was hit with another intense volume of enemy mortars. Disregarding the rounds impacting near him, Gunnery Sergeant Ring continued to carry his platoon commander to the landing zone until he himself received fragmentation wounds and was subsequently medically evacuated. By his courageous leadership, resolute determination and unswerving devotion to duty in the face of great personal danger, Gunnery Sergeant Ring upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service.