The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Private First Class Leonidas M. Jones (MCSN: 358820), United States Marine Corps Reserve, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity while serving as a member of Antitank Gun Crew of Weapons Company, Twenty-eighth Marines, FIFTH Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, on 19 February 1945. When his gun commander became a casualty, Private First Class Jones, although seriously wounded, courageously remained with his gun to assist the remaining members of the crew in providing critically needed supporting fire for the advancing infantry. Braving intense hostile artillery, mortar and machine-gun fire, he designated targets and directed the fire of his gun against Japanese positions on the slopes of Mount Suribachi, submitting to evacuation only after replacements for the gun crew became available. His resolute fortitude and determined fighting spirit were contributing factors to the successful accomplishment of the infantry’s mission, and his staunch devotion to duty reflects the highest credit on Private First Class Jones and the United States Naval Service.