Lawrence C. Silva

The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the Silver Star Medal to Sergeant (then Private First Class) Lawrence C. Silva, 39 716 641, Infantry, Company “M”, 15th Infantry Regiment. At 0230 hours, 21 March 1945 during an attack on an enemy convoy in Thal, Germany, Sergeant Silva left his cover and walked into the middle of the street to silence hostile soldiers who were bombarding his company Command Post with panzerfaust and small arms fire. Within fifty yards of the enemy he halted, and although all types of enemy fire converged upon him, barely missing him, fire his heavy machine gun from the hip, killing five enemy, wounding two, and forcing others to withdraw from the immediate area.