The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Second Lieutenant Harold L. Davis (MCSN: 0-41806), United States Marine Corps Reserve, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity as Commanding Officer of Company E, Second Battalion, Twenty-third Marines, FOURTH Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, 8 March 1945. When his platoon had suffered over fifty percent casualties from heavy enemy machine-gun and mortar fire, Second Lieutenant Davis constantly exposed himself to supervise the evacuation of his casualties, and, despite his own painful wounds, succeeded in directing the removal of all wounded of his unit. Reorganizing his group, he continued in command and, when the enemy counterattacked in strength later in the night, skillfully directed the defense of the position with the result that his platoon repulsed the enemy, accounting for approximately seventy-five Japanese annihilated. His aggressive fighting spirit and courageous devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.