The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Private First Class George M. Mathews (ASN: 37458129), United States Army, for gallantry in action while serving with the 27th Infantry Division at Saipan, Mariana Islands, during the period 15 June to 9 July 1944. While Private First Class Mathews was accompanying his Platoon Leader in an effort to remove a wounded soldier from enemy fire, the officer was wounded. Private First Class Mathews carried the Platoon Leader to a place of safety and returned to rescue the first wounded man. By improvising a rope from rifle slings, he was able to hoist the wounded man from a ledge and then carried him to safety. Several days later, Private First Class Mathews crawled twenty yards through enemy machine gun fire and brought back a member of his platoon who had been wounded.