The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Second Lieutenant William G. Hawkins (MCSN: 0-55897), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity as a Platoon Commander of Company A, First Battalion, Fifth Marines, FIRST Marine Division (Reinforced), in action against enemy aggressor forces in Korea on 3 February 1953. When his platoon was subjected to intense hostile small arms and mortar fire during the final assault of a company raid on two strongly fortified enemy positions, Second Lieutenant Hawkins exposed himself to the heavy fire to shout words of encouragement to his men while employing the left portion of his unit in an enveloping maneuver and, personally hurling an explosive charge into an enemy-occupied bunker which was impeding the advance of the attack, fearlessly entered the position to kill the two occupants with his carbine. After conducting his unit’s withdrawal from the objective, he returned to the top of the hill through intense hostile fire to assist in organizing a party to evacuate the wounded members of a machine gun crew which had been hit earlier in the attack and, when all personnel of a stretcher team became casualties during the evacuation, rushed to render aid to them. Despite severe wounds sustained while he was carrying a wounded man to safety, Second Lieutenant Hawkins refused medical treatment until all the other casualties were given aid, and left the area only after all of his men were out and all the equipment had been salvaged. By his outstanding courage, gallant fighting spirit and selfless devotion to the fulfillment of a vital task, he served to inspire all who observed him and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.