The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918 (amended by an act of July 25, 1963), takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Sergeant Melvin A. Grondahl (ASN: 37287114), United States Army, for gallantry in action against the enemy while serving with Company M, *** Infantry Regiment, 95th Infantry Division, on 16 November 1944, in the vicinity of Fort Jeanne D’Arc, France. Sergeant Grondahl, a member of a group of combat scouts attacking a large, heavily-fortified enemy bunker, voluntarily, with another combat scout moved into a position exposed to withering artillery, mortar and machine gun fire in an attempt to destroy a machine gun inside the bunker. Boldly placing his own machine gun on a mound of dirt directly in front of the pillbox, Sergeant Grondahl poured fire into the enemy position until the German gun no longer replied. Thereupon, the commander of the pillbox surrendered with his entire garrison of forty-six men. Upon questioning, the enemy commander asserted that the confident position of Sergeant Grondahl’s machine gun had led him to believe that the bunker was surrounded by American troops and his situation therefore was hopeless. Sergeant Grondahl’s superb heroism in making possible the elimination of a powerful enemy fortification reflects distinct honor on himself and on the military service.