in September 1942. On October 26, he earned the nation's highest decoration for valor, the Medal of Honor, during the campaign for Guadalcanal, specifically the Battle for Henderson Field, when he made a desperate stand against Japanese troops after they had broken through the lines and killed or wounded all of the other Marines in his machine gun section. Platoon Sergeant Paige fired his machine gun until it was destroyed, then moved from gun to gun, keeping up a withering fire until he finally received reinforcements. He later led a bayonet charge that drove the Japanese back and prevented a breakthrough in American lines. While on Guadalcanal, he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the field on December 19, 1942. Paige remained on Guadalcanal until January 1943, when he went to Melbourne, Australia, with the 1st Marine Division. The Marine Corps’ World War II Commandant, General Alexander A. Vandegrift, presented the Medal of Honor to Second Lieutenant Paige in Melbourne. In June, he was promoted to first lieutenant. In September, First Lieutenant Paige left with the 1st Marine Division for New Guinea where the Marines joined with the 6th Army for the attack on Cape Gloucester, New Britain, on December 26. In May 1944, the division left Cape Gloucester for a rest area in the Russell Islands, Pavuvu. In July, First Lieutenant Paige was sent back to the United States and assigned duty at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. He was promoted to captain on February 28, 1945. In June, Captain Paige became Tactical Training Officer at Camp Matthews, California, and the following September, was sent to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot as a recruit training officer. In May 1946, he was placed on inactive duty. In July 1950, Paige returned to active duty again at the beginning of the Korean War, and was assigned duty at Camp Pendleton, Oceanside, California. He was later transferred to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot at San Diego, California, as Plans and Operations Officer of the 2nd Recruit Training Battalion. At this time, he also went on a special assignment as plans and training officer in charge of setting up a Platoon Leader's Course training program for the Special Training Company. He was promoted to the rank of major on January 1, 1951. In October, Major Paige became executive officer of the 2nd Recruit Training Battalion, Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, California, until October