Melvin J. Lewis

By direction of the President under the provisions of the Act of Congress, approved 9 July 1918, the Silver Star award is presented to Melvin J. Lewis, US64000414, United States Army, for gallantry in action. Staff Sergeant Melvin J. Lewis distinguished himself by heroic actions on 31 October 1967, while serving as a platoon leader with Company C, 2d Battalion, 27th Infantry on a search and destroy operation near Ap Dong, Republic of Vietnam. The company came under heavy enemy small arms and automatic weapons fire pinning down one platoon. Realizing the seriousness of the situation Sergeant Lewis, with complete disregard for his own safety, stood up in the face of heavy enemy fire to locate the enemy positions. He then began throwing hand grenades in the Viet Cong positions and succeeded in allowing his unit to regroup with the remainder of the company. Sergeant Lewis’s actions were responsible for the company’s overrunning the Viet Cong positions while substaining few casualties. Due to Sergeant Lewis’s outstanding leadership the mission was successfully completed and the enemy force defeated. Sergeant Lewis’s personal bravery, aggressiveness, and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, the 25th Infantry Division, and the United States Army.