The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Major Wiley J. Sellers (MCSN: 072880), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron TWO HUNDRED SIXTY-TWO (HMM-262), Marine Aircraft Group Sixteen, FIRST Marine Aircraft Wing, in connection with combat operations against the enemy in the Republic of Vietnam. On the morning of 6 March 1970, Major Sellers launched as Flight Leader of a flight of four CH-46 transport helicopters assigned the mission of inserting 104 friendly troops into a valley nine miles southwest of Thuong Duc where a hostile force was known to be located and occupying fortified bunkers and fighting holes. After directing the first section of escorting Cobra gunships to execute rocket and strafing runs upon the landing site and instructing the second section of gunships to place suppressive fire upon the bunker complexes on the hills next to the zone, he directed the crews on each of his transports to deliver a steady stream of machine gun fire upon the suspected enemy positions commencing at 500 feet above the ground and continuing until the flight departed the area after debarking its troops. Although enemy fire was encountered as the first wave entered the dangerous area, Major Sellers resolutely elected to continue the approach and successfully led his flight to a landing and debarking of the friendly troops without sustaining battle damage. After embarking his second increment, he completely disregarded his own safety as he resolutely led his flight into the hazardous insertion area. Undaunted by the intensity of the enemy automatic weapons fire directed at his transport, Major Sellers skillfully controlled the gunships in providing covering fire as his flight landed and unloaded its troops. While on the ground, he instructed his aerial gunners to fire at the muzzle flashes of the enemy, many of them less than one hundred meters from the zone. After his aircraft was seriously damaged by hostile fire and he was informed that one of his transports had been shot down in the zone by enemy fire, Major Sellers acquired another helicopter and volunteered to lead ten CH-46 transport helicopters with two hundred troops aboard and four Cobra gunships back to the battle area and extract the crewmen from the downed aircraft. Under his skilled guidance, the troops were landed and the Marines from the downed helicopter safely rescued. By his courage, superb leadership, and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of great personal danger, Major Sellers was instrumental in accomplishing the hazardous mission and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service.