The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pride in presenting the Silver Star (Posthumously) to First Lieutenant (Field Artillery) Edward K. Marsh (ASN: 0-5406606), United States Army, for gallantry in action while serving with Battery A, 2d Battalion, 33d Artillery Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, in the Republic of Vietnam. First Lieutenant Marsh distinguished himself on 5 December 1965 while serving as a forward observer during a search and destroy operation near the Michelin Rubber Plantation, Republic of Vietnam. At approximately 1300 hours First Lieutenant Marsh’s battalion was attacked by two reinforced battalions of Viet Cong. The insurgent forces had established excellent entrenchments on both sides of a road. When the American units had advanced to within ten meters of these positions, The Viet Cong opened fire and inflicted numerous casualties. Because of the poor visibility due to dense, high canopied jungle, artillery air observers and Air Force Forward Controller teams could not distinguish between the friendly and Viet Cong forces. Realizing that the situation was serious, First Lieutenant Marsh left the safety of his position and crawled forward through the intense fire to gain a better vantage point for observation. Although he was severely wounded during this action, he refused medical aid and continued to crawl through the fire lanes to ascertain the locations of the friendly units. This information was then radioed to the controllers for transmission to the supporting air and artillery elements. As the battle progressed, First Lieutenant Marsh moved about the perilous zone controlling artillery fire on one side of the road and air strikes on the other. Following a request from his liaison officer, First Lieutenant Marsh attempted to gain a position where he could direct an air strike against a particularly dangerous Viet Cong concentration. To accomplish this he had to cross a road which had become a no man’s land and offered no cover. With complete disregard for his personal safety, First Lieutenant Marsh immediately moved forward in full view of the Viet Cong gunners and directed an air strike within 150 meters of his position. While carrying out this mission, First Lieutenant Marsh was fatally wounded by the overwhelming volume of fire directed at him. Through his courage, determination, and devotion to duty, he contributed immeasurably to the final withdrawal and defeat of the Viet Cong troops. First Lieutenant Marsh’s unimpeachable valor and extraordinary heroism in close combat against a superior hostile force were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.