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 Joseph M. Thomas (ASN: 20566688), United States Army, for gallantry in action while serving with Battery C, 456th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion, 82d Airborne Division, in action on 10 July 1943, approximately 5 miles northwest of ****, Sicily. Sergeant Thomas did bring up his gun and gun crew to the forward slope of ***** and while under heavy machine gun fire and in plain view of the enemy did lay direct fire into the enemy positions. One *** tank was destroyed and another damaged. Several *** *** gun positions were hit and some machine gun nests destroyed. The effective employment of this weapon at this time proved a decisive factor in stalling the enemy attack. In this gallant action Sergeant Thomas acquitted himself in a manner reflecting credit upon himself and his country.