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 pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Sergeant Robert W. Johnson (ASN: ER-12685115), United States Army, for gallantry in action while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force on 8 November 1968 while serving as an armored cavalry assault vehicle commander with Troop B, 1st Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment in the Republic of Vietnam. On this date in the vicinity of Loc Ninh, Sergeant Johnson was participating in an assault on a large North Vietnamese Army force. During the course of the fierce fire fight a nearby tank suddenly received two direct hits from enemy antitank rockets seriously wounding two of the crew members and causing the vehicle to burst into flames. Sergeant Johnson showing no concern for his personal safety immediately dismounted his vehicle and ran through the concentrated enemy fire to the burning tank. Upon reaching the heavily damaged vehicle Sergeant Johnson mounted it and manned its machine gun placing highly accurate fire into the ranks of the Communist forces. Sergeant Johnson continued to fire the machine gun from the top of the burning vehicle until his wounded comrades were safely evacuated, despite the fact that the ammunition stored in the vehicle could have exploded at any moment. At one point during this fierce action a group of thirty North Vietnamese Army soldiers made an all-out assault on Sergeant Johnson’s position but he steadfastly remained at his position killing five of the enemy soldiers and forcing the rest to scatter into the surrounding jungle. Sergeant Johnson’s unwavering devotion to duty, extraordinary courage and deep concern for the lives of his comrades in arms were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.