The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Private First Class John T. Arnold (MCSN: 884753), United States Marine Corps Reserve, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity while serving with Headquarters Battery, Third Corps Artillery, THIRD Amphibious Corps, Fleet Marine Force, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands, 5 May 1945. As a member of an early morning patrol searching for an enemy raiding party, Private First Class Arnold accompanied a Marine officer and a Corpsman in the investigation of a small cove. When the officer peered into the cave and was mortally wounded by point-blank fire from within, Private First Class Arnold immediately fell to the ground in front of the entrance and began firing into the cave in order to cover the evacuation of the wounded officer by the Corpsman, thereby killing two of the enemy. Observing a wounded officer, he discarded his own useless weapon and, retrieving the officer’s carbine, advanced up a steep slope toward a third enemy soldier, coolly firing upon him at point-blank range and killing him. His resolute courage and steadfast devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.