The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Private First Class William A. Thomas (ASN: 14058155), United States Army, for gallantry in action while serving with the 35th Infantry Division, in action near ****, France, on 14 December 1944. On 14 December, Private Thomas’ section was on a screening mission near **** when two trucks from a friendly unit were brought under heavy concentrations of enemy machine gun and small arms fire, which killed one of the drivers and caused the other occupants to seek cover in a nearby ditch. Smoke shells were fired to allow these men to escape under concealment, but they would not leave their position. Private Thomas then made his way seven hundred yards toward the ditch from where he called upon the men to run to safety, but to no avail. Realizing the necessity for evacuating the soldiers, and acting entirely upon his own initiative, Private Thomas crawled across another one hundred yards in the face of intense enemy fire to reach the ditch, bodily lifted the men into the remaining truck, unhitched the trailer, turned the vehicle about, and while still subjected to German fire, drove to safety. Private Thomas’ gallant and unselfish acts saved his comrades from further injury and possible capture and reflect high credit upon his character and training as a soldier.