The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Sergeant Lanford Brackett (MCSN: 298839), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity while serving as Leader of a Machine-Gun Squad of Company B, First Battalion, Third Marines, THIRD Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Bougainville, Solomon Islands, 7 November 1943. When his squad was surrounded and cut off by the enemy during an assault against a strongly entrenched Japanese position, Sergeant Brackett ordered the gun crew to emplace their weapon and open fire. When the gun being assembled was attacked by six of the enemy, he advanced alone to meet them and succeeded in destroying several and in driving away the remainder. Then bringing heavy fire to bear on the hostile positions, he covered the advance of other units which broke the encirclement of his squad. His courage and devotion to duty reflect the highest credit upon Sergeant Brackett and the United States Naval Service.