Arthur L. Coffin

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star Medal to Arthur L. Coffin (20702036), Private First Class [then Private], U.S. Army, for gallantry in action while serving with Company D, 30th Infantry Regiment, 3d Infantry Division. When intense enemy artillery and mortar fire knocked out the seven-man crew of a mortar position in Riedwihr, France, on the afternoon of 27 January 1945, Private First Class Coffin re-manned the gun. Alone he continued to fight although hostile shells, zeroed in on adjacent buildings, continued to strike as close as 20 feet from him. He registered in and with three rounds destroyed an enemy machine gun and its three-man crew located 400 yards in front of the observation post. For over half-an-hour Private First Class Coffin single-handedly manned the heavy mortar, firing over 35 rounds on other targets of opportunity.