Elmo F. Tofanelli

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Third Award of the Silver Star to Captain Elmo F. Tofanelli, 01 313 326, Infantry, Company “A”, 15th Infantry Regiment. On the morning of 5 November 1944, Captain Tofanelli, under continuing enemy fire, reorganized his company which had been heavily shelled in an assembly area. Placing himself thirty yards ahead of the most forward elements, he led his company in an attack upon Biarville, France. The enemy riflemen concentrated their fire upon his conspicuous figure, and although bullets whipped all about him, he continued aggressively forward, charging into a sniper’s hail of bullets to kill the German, and to lead his men with such skill and vigor that they achieved their objective, killing twenty Germans and capturing forty more.