George Pappas Silver Star citation

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the SILVER STAR MEDAL to

CORPORAL GEORGE PAPPAS, USMC.,

for service as set forth in the following

CITATION:

“For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity as assistant gunner of a self-propelled 75-mm. gun serving with the Third Battalion, Seventh Marines, First Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Cape Gloucester, New Britain, during the late afternoon and night of January 3-4, 1944. While his gun was attempting to force a crossing over a river in the face of devastating attack by hostile machine guns, mortars and rifles from strongly fortified positions, Corporal Pappas skillfully directed the fire of a machine-gun against Japanese snipers and concealed emplacements until the self-propelled weapon advanced to a position where it could fire point blank on the enemy who were holding up the advance of his battalion. Corporal Pappas’s extreme bravery and indomitable fighting spirit materially assisted his battalion in breaking through the hostile lines and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.”

For the President,
/s/ James Forrestal

---

Born: 19 March 1913 in Ecorse, Mich…. Home of record: Ecorse, Mich…. Also saw action during the Guadalcanal and New Guinea campaigns… Served seventeen months in Korea… Landed with the Seventh Marines at Chu Lai, Republic of Vietnam… Retired as master gunnery sergeant in 1970… Passed: 30 August 2014… Interred: Arlington National Cemetery