The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Corporal Hoyt Clayton Berry (MCSN: 290866), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity while serving with the FIRST Marine Division in action against enemy Japanese forces on Cape Gloucester, New Britain, during the period from 26 to 30 December 1943. While voluntarily leading a patrol beyond our lines by night, Corporal Berry located eight enemy pillboxes and, returning with a squad of engineers, demolished the hostile emplacements. Later, displaying daring initiative, he again volunteered for a patrol top the front of our positions where, through his dauntless fighting skill, six of the enemy were killed and a group of hostile snipers routed. On a subsequent occasion when his unit of scout-snipers returned from an engagement in which his sergeant was fatally wounded, he immediately attached the men to a platoon engaged in a determined assault on enemy pillboxes and aided materially in the attack. Corporal Berry’s courageous conduct and fearless devotion to duty throughout this period were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.