The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918 (amended by an act of July 25, 1963), takes pride in presenting the Silver Star (Posthumously) to Specialist Fourth Class Thomas Edward Grix (ASN: RA-12752013), United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in connection with military operations against the enemy while serving with Detachment B-35, Company A, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces, in the Republic of Vietnam. Specialist Fourth Class Grix distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 15 December 1967 while serving as a Special Forces Advisor to a Vietnamese Company on a search and destroy mission in Hau Nghia Province near the Cambodian border. While moving through a heavily wooded area in search of hostile elements, his force was savagely attacked and pinned down by a numerically superior Viet Cong force firing mortars, recoilless rifles, machine guns and automatic weapons from heavily-fortified positions. Specialist Grix and several of his men were wounded in the initial barrage, but he ignored his wound and called for gunship and mortar strikes on the hostile positions. Then, heedless of bullets still striking all around him, he organized his men for an assault on the enemy bunkers.; Completely disregarding his personal safety, he led a furious charge into the face of the enemy weapons in an attempt to overcome the initial Viet Cong advantage. He was mortally wounded while fearlessly and aggressively leading his men in the heat of battle against overwhelming odds. Specialist Fourth Class Grix’s gallantry in action, at the cost of his life, was in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflects great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.