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 Major (Infantry) John William Gilboux (ASN: 0-70724), United States Army, for gallantry in action while serving as the Executive Officer of the 2d Battalion (Airborne), 327th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division and acting Battalion Commander during a search and destroy operation against a hostile Viet Cong force. Acting on information from a Viet Cong prisoner who stated he could lead the battalion to the location of twelve Viet Cong, Major Gilboux helilifted a squad into the area. He established aerial observation over the search area when an armed Viet Cong was flushed from the brush and ran into a group of huts. Major Gilboux had the command and control helicopter fly low over the hut and marked it with colored smoke. The helicopter came under intense automatic and small arms fire from a squad of Viet Cong concealed in huts located along the river bank. He immediately called for an armed helicopter strike against the area. An armed Viet Cong dashed out of a hut and tried to make it to the river bank but Major Gilboux had the command and control ship land in the area and block his path. He stepped from the helicopter with drawn pistol and captured the Viet Cong. With the prisoner on board the command and control helicopter again became airborne just as the rocket ships drove eight more Viet Cong into the open. Major Gilboux directed his helicopter to make low strafing attacks utilizing its machine guns. This drove the disorganized Viet Cong to cover. He then orbited the covered Viet Cong and called for an infantry squad. Upon the arrival of the squad, he landed and personally took part in the search. Armed only with his pistol he went into a rice paddy and captured one Viet Cong. He noticed another Viet Cong cowering in a cactus hedgerow and captured him also. The remaining Viet Cong were captured by the infantry squad. Turning the prisoners over to the squad, Major Gilboux again operated from an airborne command post when a report was received that another group of Viet Cong had boarded a sampan and were headed into the bay. Alerting his infantry squad to have a force waiting on the beach, Major Gilboux had the command and control helicopter force the sampan back to the beach by the force of the helicopter’s rotor wash. The five Viet Cong were then captured by the waiting infantry. Throughout the entire engagement Major Gilboux fearlessly exposed himself to the enemy and the hostile fire. His valor in close combat is in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflects great credit upon himself, his unit, and the Armed Forces of the United States.