The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Pharmacist’s Mate Second Class Maurice M. Burgett (NSN: 6694247), United States Naval Reserve, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy while serving as a Corpsman, attached to a Marine Infantry Battalion of the THIRD Marine Division on Iwo Jima, on 25 February 1945. As a Medical Corpsman with an assault rifle company, Pharmacist’s Mate Second Class Burgett repeatedly exposed himself to the heavy enemy fire during the furious assault in Motoyama Airfield #2. He volunteered, with no regard for his own safety, to cross the exposed airstrip many times to bring first aid to the numerous badly wounded men lying in exposed positions well forward of the lines. He single-handedly dragged a number of cases back across the airstrip through intense barrages of enemy artillery and mortars. Through his courage, devotion to duty and determination many lives were saved. His heroic actions were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.