The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Captain Clarence W. McCord (MCSN: 0-9385), United States Marine Corps Reserve, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity as Commanding Officer of Company K, Third Battalion, Twenty-first Marines, THIRD Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on the Asan-Adelup beachhead at Guam, Mariana Islands, on 25 and 26 July 1944. Commanding his Company in defense of a difficult sector against a numerically superior hostile force, Captain McCord heroically exposed himself to intense rifle, mortar and machine-gun fire and succeeded in recapturing a portion of the line that had been seized by the enemy. Then, after reconnoitering a heavily organized enemy position and locating two machine gun positions which were raking his lines with fire, he directed the delivery of automatic rifle fire which silenced the hostile guns. By his personal reconnaissance in the midst of the Japanese, he was able to inform his Battalion Commander of a situation which endangered the entire position, thereby preventing a complete envelopment by the enemy. His outstanding courage, leadership and devotion to duty reflect the highest credit upon Captain McCord and the United States Naval Service.