The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Second Lieutenant Bayard V. Taylor (MCSN: 0-102323), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as a Platoon Commander with Company H, Second Battalion, Fourth Marines, 9th Marine Amphibious Brigade, in connection with combat operations against the enemy in the Republic of Vietnam. During the period from 30 April to 2 May 1968, while participating in a battalion search and destroy operation in and around the village of Dai Do, Second Lieutenant Taylor fearlessly led his men in numerous assaults against a numerically superior enemy force located in several heavily fortified hamlets. Repeatedly exposing himself to hostile artillery, rocket, mortar, heavy machine gun, recoilless rifle and small arms fire, he skillfully directed and controlled effective fire on the enemy and offered words of encouragement to his men. On 2 May, Company H, which had sustained heavy casualties in two days of fighting with the enemy including the company commander and several other key personnel attacked the hamlet of Dinh To and was immediately counterattacked by an estimated reinforced battalion of North Vietnamese Army Regulars. Numerous additional casualties were suffered in the attack, including the acting company commander. Quickly assuming command of the company, which now had the effective strength of a platoon, Second Lieutenant Taylor immediately reorganized the unit while under extremely heavy fire from three sides, evacuated the wounded and contained the counterattack, inflicting heavy losses on the enemy. On order, he successfully withdrew to a more defensible position, established a hasty defense and reorganized his unit. His courageous actions and aggressive fighting spirit undoubtedly prevented his under-strength company from becoming annihilated and enabled the battalion to successfully regain the offensive, ultimately defeating the enemy. By his dynamic leadership, bold initiative and unwavering devotion to duty, Second Lieutenant Taylor upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service.