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 First Lieutenant (Armor) Thomas Eugene White, Jr. (ASN: OF-111942), United States Army, for gallantry in action while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force on 4 March 1969 while serving as the platoon leader of the Aero Rifle Platoon of the Air Cavalry Troop, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, in the Republic of Vietnam. On this date while leading his platoon in an assault on an enemy bunker complex, Lieutenant White and several of his men were suddenly pinned down by intense and accurate enemy fire. Reacting instantly, Lieutenant White, assuming a fully exposed position, directed the remainder of the platoon into defensive positions around the enemy emplacements. Realizing that his platoon was heavily outnumbered, he called for reinforcements. With the arrival of a reaction force, Lieutenant White, who was still pinned down only three meters from an enemy bunker position, led his four men back through a hail of enemy fire to the remainder of the platoon. With the aid of armored assault vehicles and tanks, he led a final assault on the hostile positions. Upon observing a friendly soldier critically wounded by enemy fire, Lieutenant White dashed through a deluge of enemy automatic weapons fire to a nearby assault vehicle procured a stretcher and supervised the evacuation of the wounded trooper. Lieutenant White’s actions contributed greatly to the overrunning and destruction of the enemy base camp. First Lieutenant White’s outstanding courage and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.