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 Dennis A. Iasello, United States Army, for gallantry in action while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force on 7 June 1969 while serving as a machine gunner with Troop G, 2d Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment in the Republic of Vietnam. On this date Specialist Iasello volunteered to accompany a dismounted security force for an engineer sweep team. As the team cleared a narrow culvert and proceeded up a hill toward a village, Specialist Iasello spotted several North Vietnamese Army soldiers attempting to hide in a nearby rubber plantation. He immediately shouted an alert and was about to assault the enemy positions when the entire wood line erupted in a hail of machine gun and small arms fire. Specialist Iasello hurriedly scrambled to a ditch beside the road and engaged the estimated battalion size enemy force with his personal weapon until an armored vehicle moved along side. He then mounted the track and began laying down accurate suppressive fire with his machine gun until it malfunctioned and could not be fired. Seeing several members of the troop pinned down by enemy fire, he stood on the back of the armored vehicle exposing himself to the hostile fusillade and fired his personal weapon which helped to relieve the pressure on the trapped men. While in this extremely vulnerable position, a rocket propelled grenade slammed into the vehicle mortally wounding him with shrapnel. Specialist Isabelle’s alertness and courage forced the North Vietnamese to initiate an ambush prematurely and prevented heavy casualties to the friendly force. Specialist Four Iasello’s unwavering devotion to duty and gallant actions were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.