The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Private First Class Walter J. Battersby (MCSN: 931916), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity while serving as a Flame Thrower Operator with Headquarters Company, First Battalion, Ninth Marines, THIRD Marine Division, during operations against enemy Japanese forces on Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, 13 March 1945. Assigned the mission of destroying an enemy pillbox well-defended by machine gun and rifle fire, Private Battersby crawled over the fire-swept terrain to a position from which he quickly silenced the enemy guns in the pillbox with his flame thrower. Upon returning through hostile fire with his empty weapon, he learned that the company on the right was without flame thrower operators and urgently in need of flame thrower support. Immediately proceeding to this company’s assistance, he aided in the reduction of another Japanese position and, subsequently returning through enemy machine gun and rifle fire to his own company, noticed that no experienced rocket launcher operators were available. Volunteering as a leader of a two-man team for the mission of destroying an enemy tank which was firing from the left flank of the company’s zone of action, he advanced one hundred and fifty yards through hostile machine gun, rifle and intermittent mortar fire and successfully accomplished his mission by destroying the Japanese tank. His initiative, courage and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.