The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Staff Sergeant William H. White (ASN: 14023768), United States Army, for gallantry in action while serving with Company I, 3d Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82d Airborne Division, in action on 17 September 1944, about two miles from ****, Holland. Staff Sergeant White, platoon sergeant of Company I, was with the point of his platoon, whose mission was to contact the unit on the battalion’s right flank. The platoon was proceeding towards the bridge crossing the Maas-Waal Canal when they encountered an enemy patrol mounted on bicycles at a bend in the road. They immediately deployed and took positions below the bend. The enemy patrol of four men began withdrawing under the protection of a terrace on the left of the road. Staff Sergeant White with utter disregard for his own life dashed across the open field towards the terrace. The enemy patrol saw that Staff Sergeant White was attempting to cut off their escape and immediately concentrated fire from their machine pistols on him. Firing his Thompson Sub-Machine Gun from his hip as he ran through the hail of bullets, Staff Sergeant White continued on until he had reached a position in the ditch on the edge of the road to the rear of the enemy. He charged down the ditch at the four Germans firing as he moved forward, and wounded two of the enemy, but when he was still five yards from them he had fired his last round of ammunition. Grabbing his Thompson Sub-Machine Gun by the barrel as a club he rushed the two remaining Germans. They immediately threw down their weapons and surrendered. Staff Sergeant White’s quick thinking and determined actions neutralized a patrol who would have been able to furnish the enemy with vital information concerning our whereabouts. His display of courage is a credit to the Armed Forces.