The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Silver Star (Posthumously) to Pharmacist’s Mate Third Class John Ellis Hardy, United States Naval Reserve, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as a Medical Corpsman with the SECOND Marine Division, during the landing on Tarawa, on 20 November 1943. Injured severely in the right arm while he was disembarking from an amphibious tractor, Pharmacist’s Mate Third Class Hardy none the less administered first aid to the wounded on the beach and rescued four others from the water. Under intense enemy fire, he continued to care for his comrades and carried on for more than five hours in spite of his own wounds, until he was killed by a Japanese hand grenade. His gallant actions and dedicated devotion to duty, without regard for his own life, were in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Naval Service.