The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Sergeant Michael W. Aicega (MCSN: 490696), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity while serving as a Rifle Squad Leader of Company K, Third Battalion, Twenty-First Marines, THIRD Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, 24 February 1945. After his squad leader became a casualty during an attack on enemy positions on Airfield Number Two, Corporal Aicega immediately assumed command of the squad which was then under heavy enemy machine gun, mortar, artillery and rifle fire, and continued the attack. When the platoon was temporarily halted by an enemy pillbox, he recovered a flame thrower from a fallen Marine and employed it to annihilate the occupants of the emplacement, thereby enabling his platoon to continue the attack. His leadership and courageous devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.