The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Hospital Corpsman Third Class Robert J. Thelen, Jr. (NSN: B-721526), United States Navy, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as a Corpsman with Company D, First Battalion, Seventh Marines, FIRST Marine Division, in connection with military operations against the enemy in the Republic of Vietnam. During the early morning hours of 12 August 1969, Company D was occupying a defensive position approximately twenty-two miles south of DaNang in Quang Nam Province. Suddenly the Third Platoon’s sector of the perimeter came under a heavy ground attack by a large hostile force utilizing small arms, automatic weapons, and rocket-propelled grenades. Observing a seriously wounded Marine lying dangerously exposed to the intense hostile fire, Petty Officer Thelen rushed to the side of the casualty, administered emergency first aid, and moved him to a position of relative safety. Returning to his platoon’s position, he commenced maneuvering throughout the fire-swept terrain, shouting encouragement and rendering medical assistance to his companions. When four Marines were seriously wounded by the explosion of an enemy rocket-propelled grenade, Petty Officer Thelen, undaunted by the hostile rounds impacting near him, skillfully attended to their wounds. Aware that the platoon sergeant had lost consciousness, he ably treated the casualty for shock while shielding his body from further injury, and subsequently ensured his immediate evacuation to a landing zone. Throughout the fierce engagement, Petty Officer Thelen repeatedly exposed himself to the hostile fire as he single-handedly attended to the medical needs of his companions, and was instrumental in saving the lives of several Marines. By his courage, superb professionalism and unswerving devotion to duty in the face of extreme personal danger, Petty Officer Thelen inspired all who observed him and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.