The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Second Lieutenant Richard L. Jaehne (MCSN: 0-106958), United States Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism while serving as a Platoon Leader with Company K, Third Battalion, Seventh Marines, FIRST Marine Division (Reinforced), Fleet Marine Force, in connection with combat operations against the enemy in the Republic of Vietnam. On 28 August 1969, while moving through an open rice paddy during a company-sized search and clear operation in the Que Son-Hiep Due Valley in Quang Nam Province, Second Lieutenant Jaehne’s platoon came under intense mortar, automatic-weapons, and small-arms fire from a well-entrenched North Vietnamese Army force. Quickly assessing the situation, he deployed his platoon into firing positions and launched an aggressive counterattack. During the ensuing fire fight, he repeatedly disregarded his own safety to gain vantage points from which to direct the fire of his men against one hostile position after another. When one of his squads was temporarily pinned down by fire from a heavy machine gun, he inched his way through the deep rice paddy and, in full view of the enemy gunners, destroyed the machine gun with a hand grenade, using his pistol to dispose of the last of the enemy gunners in the emplacement. Although he had sustained a painful fragmentation wound in the shoulder and a bullet wound in the hand, Second Lieutenant Jaehne rallied his Marines, retrieved the radio from his fallen radio operator, restored communications, and continued the attack until the enemy broke contact and withdrew, leaving behind thirteen casualties, several crew-served weapons, and numerous rifles and items of equipment. By his courage, aggressive leadership, and unflagging devotion to duty in an extremely hazardous situation, Second Lieutenant Jaehne upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service.