Edward C. Thompson, Jr.

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star Medal to Edward C. Thompson, Jr., Lieutenant Commander, U.S. Coast Guard, for conspicuous gallantry as Captain of the U.S.S. PC-545 in action against enemy forces during the assault on the Island of Sicily, on 10 July 1943. Accurately locating the strategic beaches assigned for landing operations, Lieutenant Commander Thompson, although forced to maintain fire silence in order to support a surprise attack, tenaciously held his hazardous anchorage three thousand years offshore and continued to provide vital signals to direct the landing craft, despite constant exposure to hostile searchlights and imminent danger of enemy fire.