The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the

SILVER STAR MEDAL posthumously to

Cpl IVEY J. HAYES

United States Marine Corps

For service as set forth in the following

CITATION:

        "The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Silver Star (Posthumously) to Corporal Ivey Jackson Hayes, United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as the Senior Advisor/Marine Squad Leader of Combined Action Platoon 4-1-10, Third Marine Amphibious Force, in connection with operations against the enemy in the Republic of Vietnam. During the early morning hours of 29 March 1969, Corporal Hayes' unit was occupying a defensive position to provide security for the village of Cam Vu and a nearby water pumping station in Quang Tri Province when the men came under a heavy volume of small arms, automatic weapons and anti-tank rocket fire from a platoon-size North Vietnamese Army sapper force. Reacting instantly, Corporal Hayes moved through the hazardous area to the point of heaviest contact and directed the detonation of claymore mines which inflicted several casualties upon the hostile unit. Observing that a machine gun position had been neutralized by an exploding satchel charge, he quickly redeployed his men to fill the gap in the defenses and then maneuvered about the fire-swept terrain from one emplacement to another, encouraging his men and directing their accurate suppressive fire. Alertly detecting two enemy soldiers attempting to destroy the water pump, he directed an aggressive assault upon them, thus preventing the loss of the vital water supply. Resolutely continuing his determined efforts, he exposed himself to the enemy fire while distributing ammunition to his men and shouting words of encouragement to them. His heroic and timely actions were instrumental in his unit's accounting for six hostile soldiers confirmed killed and maintaining the security of the area. By his courage, bold initiative and unwavering devotion to duty, Corporal Hayes contributed significantly to the accomplishment of his unit's mission and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service."