Matthew P. Cantillion

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star Medal to Matthew P. Cantillion, Lieutenant (j.g.), U.S. Coast Guard (Reserve), for gallantry in action as a member of a Navy Beach Party in the amphibious attack on Biak Island, Schouten Group, Dutch New Guinea, on 27 May 1944. When members of the party landed on Green Beach and were subjected to severe ground fire from Japanese troops in two caves in the cliff near the beach, Lieutenant (j.g.) Cantillion procured hand grenades, a weapon with which he was unfamiliar, from a soldier returned to the cliff area and by ground fire eliminated the enemy resistance, killing the four Japanese in the caves. By his imitative, courage and resourceful fighting qualities under fire, he defeated enemy resistance and made possible the expeditious landing of vital material without casualty.