The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Lance Corporal George S. Hilliard, Jr. (MCSN: 2356108), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as a Squad Leader with Company H, Second Battalion, Twenty-Seventh Marines, FIRST Marine Division in connection with operations against insurgent communist (Viet Cong) forces in the Republic of Vietnam. On the afternoon of 18 July 1968, while conducting a patrol north of the La Tho River in Quang Nam Province, Lance Corporal Hilliard and two other members of his squad were wounded by an enemy explosive device. As a corpsman approached his position, the Marines suddenly came under a heavy volume of mortar, small arms and automatic weapons fire from a large hostile force and sustained three additional casualties. Refusing medical treatment, Lance Corporal Hilliard commenced to assist the corpsman in administering first aid to the injured Marines while shouting words of encouragement to his men and directing their fire. Subsequently wounded again, he ignored the hostile rounds impacting near him and resolutely continued to direct accurate fire against the enemy while assisting in moving casualties to a landing zone for medical evacuation by helicopter. His bold leadership and sincere concern for the welfare of his comrades inspired all who observed him and were instrumental in saving the lives of several Marines. By his courage, aggressive fighting spirit and selfless devotion to duty in the face of great personal danger, Lance Corporal Hilliard 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.