The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Silver Star (Posthumously) to Private First Class Paul M. Bayne, Jr. (MCSN: 358818), United States Marine Corps Reserve, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity while serving with the Third Battalion, Twenty-Fourth Marines, FOURTH Marine Division, during action against enemy Japanese forces at Saipan, Mariana Islands, on 18 June 1944. When a withering burst of hostile machine gun and rifle fire forced his company to withdraw, Private First Class Bayne unhesitatingly volunteered to cover this movement by close-range rocket fire although the nature of his weapon made him an obvious target for Japanese guns. Courageously exposing himself to an intense volley from the enemy emplacements, he succeeded in silencing a hostile machine gun before he was fatally wounded. Private First Class Bayne’s indomitable fighting spirit and great personal valor were an inspiration to his comrades and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.