The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Technical Sergeant Eddie Martinez (ASN: 38676164), United States Army, for gallantry in action while serving with Company E, 2d Battalion, 318th Infantry Regiment, 80th Infantry Division, in connection with military operations against an enemy of the United States on 12 April 1945 in Germany. On that date, Technical Sergeant Martinez, serving as a platoon leader, learned from prisoners that sixty enemy soldiers were sleeping in a factory building near Erfurt, Germany. Leading his men silently to the factory he ordered them to encircle the building while he crawled toward the entrance. When but twenty yards from the building he rushed the door, killed two sentinels, and, opening the door, hurled a hand grenade into the large factory room, killing and wounding several more. Calling on the remainder to surrender he and the platoon captured fifty enemy soldiers. Technical Sergeant Martinez’s courage, leadership, and sincere devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.