The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Second Lieutenant Robert N. Thompson, Jr. (MCSN: 0-29365), United States Marine Corps Reserve, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity as a Platoon Leader of Company B, First Battalion, Ninth Marines, THIRD Marine Division in action against enemy Japanese forces on Guam, Mariana Islands on 21 July to 10 August 1944. During the Battle of Finegayan, Second Lieutenant Thompson skillfully led his platoon in an attack against strongly organized enemy entrenchments at an important road junction and when his platoon was subject to intense enemy machine gun, rifle and grenade fire, worked his way forward under fire to locate the emplacements, pointing out the well camouflaged enemy men. Although sustaining serious wounds from several high explosive charges thrown at him, he continued to lead his platoon throughout the three hour battle, personally destroying an enemy machine gun emplacement and killing several of the enemy. By his aggressive leadership, he contributed materially to the capture of the objective with heavy losses to the Japanese and with minimum losses in his platoon, and his courage and devotion to duty throughout the campaign upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.