The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Sergeant Frederick J. Mehlinger (MCSN: 378743), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity while serving as Commander of a 75-mm. Gun of Regimental Weapons Company, Twenty-fifth Marines, FOURTH Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, from 19 February to 16 March 1945. When his company was halted in its advance by a Japanese strong point in terrain impassable to vehicles, Sergeant Mehlinger unhesitatingly organized his gun crew into two rocket launcher teams. Leading his men over exposed territory through concentrated hostile small-arms fire into forward areas, he delivered accurate, flanking fire and succeeded in driving the enemy from their pillboxes, caves and gun emplacements into the line of fire of our machine guns, thereby freeing an infantry platoon which had been trapped by hostile automatic weapons fire. His heroic conduct and devotion to duty throughout were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.