The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting a Gold Star in lieu of a Second Award of the Silver Star to Commander (MC) Gordon Murphy Bruce (NSN: 0-74413), United States Naval Reserve, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against Japanese forces in the Koromikina River Area, Bougainville Island, British Solomon Islands. On 7 November 1943, as the hospital of the THIRD Marine Division, under Commander Bruce’s command, was being prepared for operation, the enemy delivered a surprise major attack on a nearby flank of the Division’s position. Wounded men at once were brought to the hospital. Deciding that the wounded could not be moved safely to another location, Commander Bruce elected to defend the hospital against assaults by Japanese soldiers who had broken through the divisional lines in force. Procuring machine guns from beached landing craft, he manned the weapons with volunteer hospital corpsmen and Marine supply and mess personnel, and fought off repeated enemy attacks for a period of five hours; at the same time supervising surgical operating teams, assisting the wounded, and exposing himself frequently to enemy fire in order to encourage his men. He made a perilous journey, under machine gun and rifle fire, across an exposed flank in order to obtain reinforcements, which arrived by nightfall. Thereafter, he directed the treatment of the wounded, and visited the defensive positions, throughout the night; setting an example of coolness and courage, and maintaining the morale of his patients. His outstanding courage and leadership were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Lieutenant Commander (MC) Gordon Murphy Bruce (NSN: 0-74413), United States Naval Reserve, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy while serving as a Medical Officer with the THIRD Marine Division operating in the Cape Torokina area, Bougainville, British Solomon Islands, on 1 November 1943. Having landed on the beach with his battalion, Lieutenant Commander Bruce established a command post on the beach at a point where activities were comparatively light. Learning that other troops were engaged in severe fighting and that their medical facilities were overtaxed by casualties, he immediately proceeded along the beach, without protection of any kind, to the scene of action. While so doing, he was frequently subjected to enemy machine gun and rifle fire. At one point, his progress having been interrupted by an enemy combat group on the beach, he entered the jungle, located two squads of Marines, and directed them against the enemy, thereafter continuing to his objective under increasingly heavy fire. Entering the aid station while it was under attack by enemy machine guns, he assisted the medical officers in performing surgical operations and caring for the wounded. In the midst of heavy fighting he went from place to place among the assault troops, locating the injured and giving them medical attention. His courageous conduct was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.