Robert J. O’Neill

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star Medal to Robert J. O’Neill (12189137), Private First Class, U.S. Army, for gallantry in action while serving with Company C, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3d Infantry Division. On 1 April 1945, near Rothenbach, Germany, at about 1700 hours, Sergeant Reynolds and another soldier crawled 100 yards under enemy machine gun, small arms, SP and Panzerfaust fire to silence a machine gun 150 yards away. Within fifty yards of the gun they stood and advanced, barely escaping death, the other soldier firing the gun, and Private First Class O’Neill feeding the ammunition into the light machine gun. When within twenty-five yards of the enemy position they had killed the gun crew of two, wounded one and forced the remaining four enemy around the gun to surrender.