The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting a Gold Star in lieu of a Second Award of the Legion of Merit to Lieutenant Colonel William G. Thrash (MCSN: 0-6141), United States Marine Corps, for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services to the Government of the United States as Senior United Nations Officer in First and Second Companies, Prisoner of War Camp 2, Ping-chong-ni, North Korea, during the period 15 May 1952 to 1 September 1953. Although warned by the Chinese that any attempt on his part to exert his personal influence on other prisoners would be dealt with by disciplinary action and also being aware that the senior officer was under continually close surveillance, Lieutenant Colonel Thrash immediately took concrete steps to organize the prisoners on a military basis and to tighten discipline among them. By his personal integrity, exemplary conduct, and wise leadership, he quickly won the respect and support of all the prisoners of various nationalities who comprised the camp’s inmates. His actions were directly responsible for the good relations among all the prisoners, for the cohesive resistance to communist efforts to cause the defection of the individuals to the camp, and for the maintenance of military discipline in the camp. As a result of his outstanding contributions as senior United Nations officer in the camp, he was placed in solitary confinement for a period of eight months and subjected to various types of maltreatment. Lieutenant Colonel Thrash’s conduct throughout his long period of imprisonment gained the admiration and warm regard of the prisoners and was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.