THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY
Washington
The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the NAVY CROSS posthumously to
PRIVATE FIRST CLASS STEVE A. SRSEN, UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS
for services as set forth in the following
CITATION:
For extraordinary heroism as a Rifleman while serving with Company A, First Battalion, Third Marines in the Republic of Vietnam on 27 January 1967. Private First Class Srsen was with the First Platoon, Company A, when it was engaged in action as a reaction force assigned to link up with a reconnaissance patrol. Early the next morning following the linkup, Private First Class Srsen's squad came under heavy small-arms fire and grenade attack. When an enemy grenade landed in his squad's position, Private First Class Srsen warned three other members of the squad, allowing them to take cover and escape injury. Wounded in his right side and leg from the grenade, Private First Class Srsen, after being treated by a corpsman requested permission to return to his position in the perimeter. Approximately thirty minutes later another enemy grenade landed close to another Marine and Private First Class Srsen gallantly pushed him to the ground, thereby saving his life. Mortally wounded by the exploding grenade, Private First Class Srsen, by his dauntless courage and grave concern for another had risked his life to save that of a fellow Marine, thereby upholding the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
For the President,
/s/Paul R. Ignatius
Secretary of the Navy