The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pride in presenting the Silver Star (Posthumously) to Private First Class Max R. Denton (ASN: 36893895), United States Army, for gallantry in action while serving with the 35th Infantry Division, in action in the Forest of ****, France, on 12 November 1944. When his organization urgently needed to establish contact with the regiment on its right flank, Private Denton, assisted by two other enlisted men, formed a patrol in an attempt to reach the adjacent unit. Being unable to find the flanking regiment at the designated place, and realizing the urgency of the mission, he and his companions pressed forward. When the patrol suddenly came upon an enemy machine gun position, Private Denton and his comrades surprised its crew, took them as prisoners and destroyed the weapon. While returning to friendly lines with their prisoners, the men were subjected to enemy artillery fire which killed all but two of the prisoners and blinded and seriously wounded one of the patrol members. As the patrol leader went in search of medical assistance, Private Denton stayed with his blinded comrade for a period of four hours, rendering first aid and applying a tourniquet, utterly disregarding a painful wound which he had himself suffered. His courageous devotion to duty and loyalty to a fellow soldier is in accord with the military traditions of the United States.