The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Private First Class Rubin C. Hawkins (MCSN: 340546), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity while serving with Company H, Third Battalion, Twenty-seventh Marines, FIFTH Marine Division in action against enemy Japanese forces on Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands on 28 February 1945. When his platoon was forced to withdraw about fifty yards in the face of a strong enemy counter attack during the Battalion’s assault of Hill 362, Private First Class Hawkins voluntarily advanced forward of the front lines several times and, despite intense hostile machine gun fire, retrieved machine gun ammunition which other members of his quad had been unable to carry in their withdrawal. Until additional ammunition could be brought up from the rear, he aided in keeping the machine gun in action and contributed materially to the success of his platoon in repelling the counter attack and in regaining the lost ground. His courage and devotion to duty reflect the highest credit upon Private First Class Hawkins and the United States Naval Service.