The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Second Lieutenant Orland B. Killin (MCSN: 0-40473), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity as a Platoon Leader of Company A, Sixth Tank Battalion, SIXTH Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands, 10 June 1945. When his tank and a flame thrower tank were taken under fire by a hostile eight-inch gun, Second Lieutenant Killin observed that the avenue for escape was adequate for the passage of only one tank at a time and, realizing the vulnerability of the flame thrower vehicle, ordered it to precede him to a covered position. Although wounded when his tank received two direct hits which killed his gunner and set his tank on fire, he made a desperate attempt to rescue the gunner from the flaming vehicle despite the continuing enemy fire. When a near miss blew him out of the tank, he tried vainly to remount until he was forcibly dragged away by another crewman. Second Lieutenant Killin’s courage, determination and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.