The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Seaman First Class Robert G. Ward, United States Coast Guard, for conspicuous gallantry in action during the landing operations against the enemy on Cotentin Peninsula, France, on 6 June 1944. While acting as coxswain of a landing craft in the first wave, Seaman First Class Ward successfully landed his troop personnel despite enemy opposition. Upon retracting from the beach he observed the stranded crews from two other landing craft whose boats had been destroyed by enemy mortar fire. Ward returned to the beach, took off both crews despite continued shelling, and returned safely with them to his ship.