The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to First Lieutenant William A. Taylor (MCSN: 0-15637), United States Marine Corps Reserve, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity as Commanding Officer of Company F, Second Battalion, Fifth Marines, FIRST Marine Division in action against enemy Japanese forces on Peleliu, Palau Islands from 26 September to 13 October 1944. Assuming command of his Company after the Leader was wounded, First Lieutenant Taylor held an almost untenable position all night and on the following morning launched an assault against a fortified hill which was the key point of his sector. When the tank infantry attack was threatened after one of the vehicles ran out of ammunition and a platoon was cut off and receiving increasingly heavy fire he bravely worked his way through the barrage to secure other tanks from the command post and guiding them to the threatened sector, directed their fire thereby contributing materially to saving he isolated platoon and securing the west side of the hill. On another occasion, when his Company was attempting to seize a hill with exposed approaches from which numerous attacks had been turned back with heavy casualties he personally reconnoitered forward of his line and locating new positions and a more favorable approach for his men and weapons, launched a successful attack in which numerous enemy were killed without loss of men in his unit. His outstanding courage and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.