The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Lieutenant Robert H. McIlwaine, United States Navy, for gallantry in action in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations during World War II. When his ship, a merchantman, was attacked without warning by a number of enemy torpedo planes, Lieutenant McIlwaine directed his crew of Armed Guard gunners to open fire on the hostile aircraft swarming over a convoy. He and his gunners sent at least two and possibly three enemy planes crashing into the sea. With their three-inch gun silenced and a gasoline-filled hold pierced by an enemy bomb, Lieutenant McIlwaine and his crew remained at their stations until the last enemy plane had retreated. His gallant actions and dedicated devotion to duty, without regard for his own life, were in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Naval Service.