Parrish M. Mclean

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star Medal to Parrish M. McLean (44025044), Private First Class [then Private], U.S. Army, for gallantry in action while serving with Company F, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3d Infantry Division. On 6 April 1945, Private First Class McLean, a BAR gunner, set out to destroy a squad of Germans supported by a machine gun, whose fire had halted the advance of his Company towards Gemunden, Germany. Without orders and while others remained in cover, he climbed over a dyke and ran about 40 yards to a railroad embankment under enemy fire that barely missed him. Taking up a position that exposed the upper half of his body to the enemy, now about 30 yards away, he emptied a magazine and killed the hostile machine gunner. Although enemy fire ripped his pack, he shot another magazine, forcing five Germans to surrender to him.