The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Platoon Sergeant John G. Ruth (MCSN: 221276), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity while a member of the Second Battalion, First Marines, FIRST Marine Division, during action against enemy Japanese forces in the Tenaru Sector, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, on the early morning of 21 August 1942. While subjected to the devastating fire of a strong attacking enemy landing force, Platoon Sergeant Ruth, with utter disregard for his own safety, proceeded to the front lines, manned an abandoned light machine gun and promptly silenced the machine gun which had raked his platoon with gunfire. Although stunned momentarily by an enemy bullet hitting his helmet, he continued his determined and accurate fire and assisted effectively in clearing his sector of the enemy.