The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Sergeant Robert J. Rawlins (MCSN: 1137611), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity while serving as Commander of a Flame Thrower Tank of Headquarters Company, First Tank Battalion, FIRST Marine Division (Reinforced), in action against enemy aggressor forces in Korea on 5 October 1952. Participating in a tank-infantry assault against an enemy-held outpost forward of the main line of resistance, Sergeant Rawlins skillfully maneuvered his tank to a position from which he successfully burned the reverse slope of the enemy hill. While turning his vehicle to proceed to the rear of the main lines, he was subjected to an intense hostile mortar and artillery barrage that dislodged and entangled a towing cable in the sprocket and immobilized the vehicle. Although wounded while attempting to disentangle the cable, he continued to expose himself to hostile fire until he had sufficiently cleared the obstruction to enable him to move the tank under its own power. Guiding the vehicle down a slope and around a critical turn, he again remounted and proceeded back to the rearming point. By his outstanding courage, initiative and unswerving devotion to duty in the face of enemy fire, Sergeant Rawlins upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.