Herman Abady’s Silver Star citation

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

SECOND LIEUTENANT HERMAN ABADY,
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS RESERVE

for service as set forth in the following

CITATION:

“For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity while serving as Platoon Leader, Company K, 3d Battalion, 1st Marine Division on Guadalcanal, British Solomon Islands. On 13 and 14 September 1942, Second Lieutenant Abady’s platoon was deployed straddling an overland trail and bore the brunt of the attack on the company’s positions from a detachment from the Japanese Army’s Kuma Battalion whose objective was Henderson Field and the 1st Division Command Post which were located approximately a half mile to the rear. Enemy Japanese soldiers with fixed bayonets penetrated the barbed wire less than 200 feet in front of the platoon’s position, and entered the unit’s foxholes where vicous hand-to-hand combat ensued. At one point, Second Lieutenant Abady took a position behind a banyan tree and succeeded in killing several Japanese soldiers with his .45 caliber pistol. As a result of his direction and encouragement, the Marines held their positions against the intensive enemy onslaught and kept the enemy from reaching their objective. At daybreak, some 30 bodies of enemy soldiers lay around the platoon’s defensive positions and an additional 30 bodies were entangled in the barbed wire in front of the platoon’s position. By his extraordinary heroism, superb courage, and loyal devotion to duty, Second Lieutenant Abady reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.”