The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Lieutenant Colonel Phillip B. May (MCSN: 0-6680), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity while serving as Commanding Officer of a Marine Attack Squadron in action against the enemy. On 16 February 1952 he led his squadron on a six-plane close air support strike in support of the FIRST Marine Division against the enemy. Palomino TWO, an airborne controller, was contacted and the controller directed the flight to the target which was a concentration of bunkers, mortar positions and enemy troops near the village of Munsan, Korea. With complete disregard for personal safety, he made three reconnaissance runs at dangerously low altitudes and through intense small arms fire to identify positively the positions of enemy and friendly forces. On one of these reconnaissance runs his plane was damaged in the right wing by enemy anti-aircraft fire; however, he called the remainder of the flight down and led them in a series of napalm, bombing and strafing runs, scoring direct hits on bunkers and mortar positions. After all planes had expended their ordnance the airborne controller assessed the damage inflicted by the flight at 95 percent coverage of the target area, forty enemy troops killed in action, three to five mortars destroyed, fifteen bunkers destroyed and four secondary explosions. Lieutenant Colonel May’s outstanding leadership, unswerving devotion to duty, and exemplary conduct throughout were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.