William H. Asher

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star Medal to William H. Asher (36876667), Technician Fourth Grade [then Technician Fifth Grade], U.S. Army, for gallantry in action while serving with Headquarters Company, 3d Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3d Infantry Division. On 18 March 1945, while intense hostile small arms and 20-mm. fire at 50 to 200 yards range, coupled with mortar and artillery fire, inflicted five casualties in the Siegfried Line near Althornbach, Germany, Technician Fourth Grade Asher laid a communication line to his Battalion Observation Post. Although two members of his wire team had been wounded and the rest had taken cover, he carried on alone. Running out of wire, he crawled 30 feet to a trench, secured another drum, spliced the wire, and then completed his mission, despite small arms fire which missed him by inches and shells which burst less than 10 yards from him. As a result of his heroism, two battalions were able to communicate with higher headquarters and to summon supporting artillery fire.