The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Captain John R. Mayer (MCSN: 0-6323), United States Marine Corps Reserve, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity while attached to the Third Marines, THIRD Marine Division, during the landing attack at Cape Torokina, Bougainville, Solomon Islands, on November 1, 1943. Landing with a demolition squad in the first wave of assault troops and finding that relentless enemy fire had inflicted many casualties among our men and prevented reorganization of the survivors, Captain Mayer promptly ordered several riflemen to cover his advance and courageously charged four hostile bunkers. Propelling high explosive mines into the gun ports, he wrecked the Japanese machine guns and killed or wounded their crews, thereby breaking the devastating continuity of the enemy beach defense fire and contributing materially to the attainment of his regiment’s objective. Captain Mayer’s heroic initiative and gallant devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.