The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Captain John J. Padley (MCSN: 0-7718), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity as Commanding Officer of Company F, Second Battalion, Twenty-third Marines, FOURTH Marine Division during action against enemy Japanese forces on Saipan Mariana Islands on 15 June 1944. Isolated in his amphibian tractor approximately one thousand yards forward of the most advanced element of his battalion while leading the mechanized advance of his company, Captain Padley immediately directed the evacuation of embarked personnel when the enemy launched a sudden vicious machine gun and mortar fire attack. Remaining in the covered position throughout the day he continued to direct the counter battery fire of his group against enemy Japanese artillery positions despite the enemy’s harassing unceasing barrages, effectively repulsing each vicious onslaught. Order to move his unit to the main defensive position in the late afternoon, he skillfully commanded the expeditious withdrawal of his men under constant attack by the Japanese and personally assisted in the evacuation of three severely wounded members of his party. By his forceful and determined leadership, his great personal valor and cool and courageous action in the face of extreme peril, Captain Padley contributed materially to the success of the operation and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.