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 Francis Hochreiter (ASN: 33612083), United States Army, for gallantry in action while serving with the 363d Infantry Regiment, 91st Infantry Division, in action near Monticelli, Italy, on 16 September 1944. When his company was held below the crest of Monticelli by heavy machine gun and sniper fire, Private Hochreiter voluntarily accompanied a group of men who assaulted the heights confronting them. For more than an hour they scaled the precipitous sides of the mountain, over mine fields, and through barbed wire entanglements, in the face of continuous small arms, mortar and artillery fire. They drove the enemy from two concrete pill boxes on the crest of the hill and quickly organized the position for defense. They repelled three fierce counter-attacks launched by the enemy, the last one with hand grenades. When reinforcements arrived after dark the position was so well organized that the fresh troops were enabled to go directly to their posts with no confusion or loss of time. The dauntless courage displayed by Private Hochreiter and his comrades reflect great credit upon each of them and is in keeping with the highest traditions of the Armed Forces.