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 Warrant Officer One (W-1) Thomas Ray King (ASN: W-3157344), United States Army, for gallantry in action while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force while serving with the 170th Assault Helicopter Company, 1st Aviation Brigade, in the Republic of Vietnam. Warrant Officer King distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions while serving in conjunction with Operation MacARTHUR when the 3d Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division was in heavy contact with a North Vietnamese Regiment. Company D was reduced to 40% strength and required extraction and the insertion of fresh troops. They were under continuous ground attack supported with mortars and automatic weapons fire. Warrant Officer King voluntarily made four sorties into a very small one-ship landing zone, sitting in the landing zone as long as five minutes while the dead and wounded were loaded on his ship. On four occasions the fighting on the ground became so intense that the helicopters were pulled back until the fighting was reduced. Despite the mortars and automatic weapons fire, he steadfastly pressed on until the battered Company D was extracted out of the landing zone. One UH-1H helicopter crashed and was destroyed 25 meters from the landing zone yet he continued to labor to save the unit. The extracted company was saved from annihilation. The wounded that will recover were saved and the dead did not fall into enemy hands. Warrant Officer King’s courage in the face of enemy fire, his loyalty to the infantry units and his unhesitating willingness to give his life to save his fellow man are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.