The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Silver Star (Posthumously) to Second Lieutenant Wendell A. Erskine (MCSN: 0-42686), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity as Machine Gun Platoon Leader, attached to Company A, First Battalion, Twenty-Third Marines, FOURTH Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, 19 February 1945. Advancing on the beach in the face of intense mortar and machine-gun fire from camouflaged hostile pill-boxes, Second Lieutenant Erskine defied the concentration of enemy fire power, which was inflicting severe casualties on his company during the initial assault, to move forward of the front lines with an advancing tank and, taking up a highly vulnerable position on the uncovered slope, supervised the direction and adjustment of the fire power by infantry-tank telephone and made possible the destruction of two hostile pillboxes before he himself was instantly killed while advancing on a third. By his brilliant tactics and outstanding devotion to duty during this critical period, Second Lieutenant Erskine had inspired his men to continue the relentless attack until they had overrun the enemy positions. He gallantly gave his life in the service of his country.