The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to First Lieutenant (Infantry) John Synowsky (ASN: 0-1310172), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving with Company F, 2d Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, in action against enemy forces at Normandy, France, on 7 June 1944. When his platoon was leading the battalion in the attack and reached a bridge on which an enemy machine gun was firing, First Lieutenant Synowsky, knowing that the machine gun would hold up the entire battalion, gallantly left his platoon and assaulted the machine gun. Creeping and crawling through fire so heavy that the men of his platoon were unable to give him covering fire, he reached a point less than 10 yards from the enemy, then quickly rose up and threw a hand grenade accurately into the emplacement, destroying the machine gun. Snipers fired at him, but, quickly locating the positions where the snipers were located, he returned their fire, killing them or causing them to flee. As a result of his courageous and skillful actions the battalion immediately resumed its attack, and because he alone exposed himself to the existing danger, not a man in his assault platoon was harmed. First Lieutenant Synowsky’s extraordinary heroism and outstanding achievement infused in his men a spirit of the highest of military traditions and reflect great credit upon himself, the 1st Infantry Division, and the United States Army.