 Nyorai kupfuurira kweiyi ndima - Pashure pokunge nharaunda yacho yaziviswa kuva yakachengeteka, McLaughlin neboka rake vakaenda kuPavuvu Island pakuvamba kwaMay 1944. Pashure pemwedzi inoverengeka yakatevera yemabasa okudzidzisa, 5th Marines yakasarudzwa sesimba rokumhara nokuda kwebasa raPeleliu raizouya. Kaputeni McLaughlin akaburuka nekambani yake musi waGunyana 15, 1944, uye mukati memazuva ekutanga ehondo, C Kambani yakadzosera maviri maJapan matangi-mauto ehondo, achiparadza matangi akati wandei uye achiuraya vatsigiri vehondo. Mukati memavhiki maviri akatevera, McLaughlin nekambani yake vakarwisa kakawanda nzvimbo dzevavengi dzakasimbiswa padyo nePeleliu Airfield uye mushure memazuva mana ekurwa kwakasimba, akashinga akatungamira kambani yake pakurwiswa pasi pemoto unorema kudzosera kumashure kurwisa kwakawanda kwehusiku umo pfuti mbiri dzemuvengi dzakatorwa, maJapan mazhinji akaurayiwa uye matangi mazhinji akaiswa kunze kwekuita. Nokuda kwoushingi hwake muhondo, McLaughlin akapiwa menduru yeSilver Star. 