The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Silver Star (Posthumously) to Second Lieutenant Lentier D. Rosso (MCSN: 0-35304), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity as a Platoon Leader attached to Company A, Second Battalion, Twenty-first Marines, THIRD Marine Division during operations against enemy Japanese forces on Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, on 1 March 1945. Bold and aggressive in combat, Second Lieutenant Rosso repeatedly led units in assaults on fiercely defended enemy emplacements around the third airfield, moving from man to man to point out enemy positions and pillboxes and directing the tanks attached to his unit in effectively neutralizing the hostile strongholds. Losing his life in this hazardous undertaking, Second Lieutenant Rosso, by his brilliant tactical skill and indomitable fighting spirit, had contributed materially to the success of the operation, upholding the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.