The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Sergeant Harold Edgar Wadley (MCSN: 1192794), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as Weapons Platoon Commander with Company H, Second Battalion, Fifth Marines, FIRST Marine Division (Rein.), FMF, in Quang Tin Province, Republic of Vietnam on 10 September 1967. Sergeant Wadley displayed heroic professionalism and unselfish valor while participating in operations against insurgent communist forces. The First Platoon of Company H, while on a search and destroy mission during Operation SWIFT, made contact with an estimated two platoons of North Vietnamese soldiers. The enemy was positioned in such a way as to allow them to deliver a heavy volume of accurate automatic weapons and small arms fire from their fortified positions. In the ensuing close combat, during the intensive fire fight, Sergeant Wadley demonstrated outstanding personal courage and resourcefulness by heroically maneuvering his way through open rice paddies in the face of heavy enemy machinegun fire to within 30 meters of the enemy bunkers. From this position he rendered covering fire for Marines removing the wounded. Repeatedly he exhibited complete disregard for his own personal safety by willfully exposing himself, and as a result of this courageous act was painfully and seriously wounded, yet he continued to provide unfaltering fire and to organize the evacuation of the wounded. After reaching the point of exhaustion and weakened from loss of blood, exhibiting again his extraordinary fortitude in the face of the enemy, he gave verbal adjustments to close air support aircraft adjusting the devastation of bombs, napalm, and strafing runs within 40 meters of his exposed position. Finally, when all other wounded had been evacuated he allowed himself to be removed from the scene. Sergeant Wadley’s unselfish heroism, and unfaltering dedication to duty throughout, served as an inspiration to all who observed him and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service.