The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Sergeant Henry W. Backlund (MCSN: 335026), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity while serving as Half Track Gun Commander of the Twenty-Eighth Marines, FIFTH Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces during the assault on Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, 19 February 1945. Bringing his gun into position on the extreme left flank of the landing beach, Sergeant Backlund fired round after round into the base and slopes of Suribachi Yama and, while under intense enemy small arms, mortar and artillery fire, unhesitatingly exposed himself to designate targets and direct fire. After the gunner of his crew was killed, he took over the gunner’s duties in addition to his own and continued to support the assault with well-directed fire. When a mortar shell landed in the ammunition pile a few feet from him while he was loading ammunition into the vehicle, he rushed to the pile and threw the burning ammunition aside despite painful burns on both hands, thereby salvaging the remainder and saving the vehicles and other members of the crew from danger of a serious explosion. His courageous leadership and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.