The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pride in presenting the Silver Star (Posthumously) to Second Lieutenant (Infantry) Joe F. Dewberry (ASN: 0-515258), United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy as Commanding Officer of an assault platoon during the capture of Hill 260 at Bougainville, Solomon Islands, on 10 March 1944. The American forces had been held up by a low, rounded hilltop overlooking their position. Each time they advanced, enemy machine-gun fire took them from the flank and cut off the forward units. The hill, occupied by Japanese infantrymen and a machine gun command, lay directly across the line of American advance and prevented further development of the beachhead landing. Lieutenant Dewberry’s command was assigned the task of knocking the enemy off the hill. On 10 March, 1944, with a single platoon, he slipped through the jungle and reached the Japanese outposts. In a preliminary brush with the enemy, he suffered a slight wound, but he kept going forward, well in advance of his riflemen, who were covering his movements. He climbed half the way up the slope before his position was revealed, his command close behind him. Then, in a swift and determined charge, he led his soldiers over the brow of the hill through a hail of enemy machine-gun and rifle fire. At the hilltop, he rallied his men for the last job of attacking inside the Japanese lines, when he was killed by a bullet from a Japanese submachine gunner. Due to his heroic leadership, Hill 260 was taken and the perimeter advance was unleashed.