The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Private First Class Edmond J. Ratza (MCSN: 315904), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity while a member of Company C, First Battalion, Fifth Marines, FIRST Marine Division, during action against enemy Japanese forces on Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, on November 1, 1942. During a Marine offensive west of the Matanikau River, Private First Class Ratza, when his platoon was being held up by heavy machine gun fire from its right front, seized an automatic rifle from one of his comrades and proceeded to knock out hostile opposition. Following neutralization of the enemy emplacement, he crawled forward under continuous sniper fire in an attempt to capture the machine gun, but was thwarted in his efforts by a mortar barrage from our own troops. Later, seeing two members of his platoon cut off during a temporary halt for reorganization, Private First Class Ratza took up a sub-machine gun, engaged the Japanese troops who were seeking to outflank them and, by his covering fire, enabled the two men to return safely to our lines. His heroic conduct was in keeping with the highest tradition of the United States Naval Service.