The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Corporal Richard Lee Tonucci (MCSN: 2011754), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving with Company H, Second Battalion, Fourth Marines, during Operation STARLITE in the Republic of Vietnam. On 18 August 1965, Corporal Tonucci’s platoon was subjected to and pinned down by intense small arms, recoilless rifle and fifty caliber machine gun fire, delivered by insurgent communist (Viet Cong) forces in well entrenched positions approximately seventy meters to their front. Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Corporal Tonucci disregarded the serious jeopardy to his own life, and, in company with another Marine, defying the devastating enemy fire, aggressively assaulted a position from which a fifty caliber machine gun and several grenade launchers were being employed with disastrous effects on the Marines. Succeeding in silencing the machine gun, he turned his deadly fire on the grenadiers, only to find that the machine gun had been manned by another team. Withy continuing effectiveness the two Marines combined rifle fire and M-79 grenade fire, succeeding in completely destroying the enemy position. The bold and selfless actions of the two Marines resulted in the killing of fourteen Viet Cong and the capture of weapons and equipment. By his inspiring devotion to duty throughout, Corporal Tonucci enabled his platoon to move forward and accomplish its mission and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.