The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Second Lieutenant Rulan A. Harris (MCSN: 0-36932), United States Marine Corps Reserve, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity as a Rifle Platoon Leader of Company C, First Battalion, Third Marines, THIRD Marine Division in action against enemy Japanese forces on Guam, Mariana Islands, from 16 August to 1 September 1944. While his company was assigned as an outpost on Fadian Point, Second Lieutenant Harris led twenty patrols through the wooded, rugged terrain of the east coast killing sixty Japanese and personally accounting for fourteen without loss of life to his own troops. On 1 September, after completing one patrol, he voluntarily led his patrol over six hundred yards of thick jungle and steep cliffs to investigate the origin of smoke observed in that area and, discovering several enemy within a cave, immediately launched an attack. Although severely wounded when a grenade was thrown in front of him by a concealed Japanese soldier during the ensuing fire fight, he killed the enemy with a grenade and directed the successful completion of the attack. Then, ordering his Platoon Sergeant to continue the patrol, he returned alone to the Aid Station for medical treatment. L His initiative, courage and perseverance in the completion of each mission reflect great credit upon Second Lieutenant Harris and the United States Naval Service.