The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Technician Third Grade Francis J. Harrington (ASN: 12074516), United States Army, for gallantry in action while serving with the 35th Infantry Division, in action in the vicinity of ****, France, on 16 September 1944. Technician Harrington, attached to the Civil Affairs Section, *** Infantry Regiment, accompanied his section to the town of ****, France, which at that time had not been liberated. As the group reached the outskirts of the village, French civilians led them to a group of Germans desiring to surrender, then pointed out several enemy strongholds at strategic points along the route of the German retreat. This party deployed through the town despite sniper fire and sporadic machine gun fire, and succeeded in driving the remaining enemy troops into a central locality where the entire enemy force was killed or captured. Technician Harrington personally killed three members of an enemy machine gun crew and captured eight Germans, and assisted in the capture of ten more Germans, the destruction of one machine gun and capture of an assortment of enemy equipment. His courageous initiative and complete disregard for personal safety are in accord with the military traditions of the United States.