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 Private First Class John Gilman, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving with Company H, 2d Battalion, 39th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division, in action against enemy forces near Windhagen, Germany, on 18 March 1945. While taking a small town, Private First Class Gilman’s unit was cut off completely from all contact with the rest of the battalion. The small group of Americans, occupying a house with 29 German prisoners, were suddenly confronted by two Tiger tanks and parked 25 yards away and began firing point blank at the house. The Americans had no anti-tank guns, and Private First Class Gilman manned a machine gun at a window. He was instructed by his Sergeant to attempt to destroy the gun so it would not fall into the enemy’s hands. He had nearly completed disassembling it when he noticed some German bazooka’s outside the window. He jumped out to grab one, and was immediately fired at by the German tank commander, and was forced to leap headfirst back through the window, a bullet ricocheting off his hand. One tank then fired into another room, hitting 16 German prisoners and 3 G.I.’s, killing nine of the prisoners. Noticing the tank turning around to fire on the side of the house, Private First Class Gilman quickly re-assembled the machine gun and began firing point-blank into the attacking tank. The enemy tank gun maneuvered so that it was pointed directly into his face, but he continued firing, knocking out the periscope, before the entire tank burst into flames. Six enemy tankers leaped from the burning tank and Private First Class Gilman quickly killed three and wounded the other three which Private First Class Gilman took as prisoners. The second enemy tank, seeing this, quickly retreated. Private First Class Gilman’s extraordinary heroism, personal bravery and zealous devotion to duty exemplify the highest traditions of the military forces of the United States and reflect great credit upon himself, the 9th Infantry Division, and the United States Army.