The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Private First Class Henry Costanzo (MCSN: 817811), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy while attached to a Marine Reconnaissance Company on Okinawa Shima, Ryukyu Islands, on 14 May 1945. As leader of a five-man patrol, Private First Class Costanzo was assigned the mission of reconnoitering a hill for possible use as an observation post. Proceeding up the hill, his patrol received rifle and grenade fire from the enemy who was concealed behind a pile of coral rock. Himself badly wounded by a bullet which penetrated his knee, he crawled forward to a better position and killed two of the enemy. He continued to control the movements of the patrol, directing one man to return for more grenades, and then maneuvered his men into a position from which they could fire and throw the grenades, killing the remaining three enemy. Refusing to be evacuated, he then sent two men to the crest of the hill to ascertain its value as an observation post and consented to be evacuated only after he had sent a full report back to his platoon leader. His courage, aggressiveness and coolness under fire resulted in the gaining of valuable information, and his heroic action was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.