The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Silver Star (Posthumously) to Platoon Sergeant William Perry Sloan (MCSN: 409874), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity as an Acting Machine Gun Platoon Leader, serving with Company E, Second Battalion, Twenty-ninth Marines, SIXTH Marine Division, during action against enemy Japanese forces at Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands, 17 May 1945. When his assault platoon was cut off from the remainder of the company by devastating machine-gun and small-arms fire from the deeply entrenched Japanese on Sugar Loaf Hill, Sergeant Sloan immediately set up his guns, exposing himself to the intense fire to place them personally. Seeing that the entire crew of the right flank gun was hit by an exploding mortar shell, he boldly dashed to the gun and, while crawling forward to put it in action, was painfully wounded. Resolutely moving ahead, he reached an advantageous position to pour effective fire on the hostile defenders until he became too weak from the loss of blood to continue. Platoon Sergeant Sloan’s outstanding courage and valiant devotion to duty were contributing factors in the successful reorganization of the hard-pressed platoon, thereby reflecting the highest credit upon himself and the United States Naval Service.