The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Staff Sergeant Eli Sausau (MCSN: 1351710), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as a Platoon Sergeant with Company H, 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. Early in the afternoon on 29 January 1967, during a search and clear mission near the village of Ha Nong Tay in Quang Nam Province, Staff Sergeant Sausau led his platoon in an attack against an enemy force which was located approximately 800 meters in front of his platoon’s position. After moving to within a hundred meters of the objective, the platoon came under concentrated enemy fire and was temporarily pinned down in an exposed rice paddy. Realizing that his platoon was in an extremely dangerous position, Staff Sergeant Sausau, armed with an M-79 grenade launcher and accompanied by his radioman, unhesitatingly moved forward through heavy enemy automatic weapons fire toward the enemy positions. Advancing through a deep rice paddy, he fired his M-79 grenade launcher, destroying the enemy in their entrenchments. Having routed the enemy force, who were fleeing in panic and confusion, Staff Sergeant Sausau continued his fierce assault, moving one hundred meters through the Viet Cong positions. His fearless and determined actions were instrumental in destroying five enemy positions and contributed immeasurably to the successful accomplishment of his unit’s mission. By his extraordinary courage, bold initiative and unswerving devotion to duty throughout, Staff Sergeant Sausau upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service.