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 Loren J. Rauch (ASN: 37257916), United States Army, for gallantry in action on 25 April 1945, while serving with Company K, 351st Infantry Regiment, 88th Infantry Division, in the vicinity of Zevio, Italy. Sergeant Rauch, a rifle squad leader, was leading his squad toward Zevio, Italy. As his scouts neared a cross road, two German machine guns opened fire and forced all of Sergeant Rauch’s men to hit the ground. The two enemy positions were built up and possessed excellent fields of fire in this flat, coverless terrain. While most of his men sought protection from the deadly grazing fire, Sergeant Rauch crawled around a flank and attempted to throw a hand grenade into the nearest position, but failed to silence the gun. He then ran back to one of his riflemen, secured several more grenades, and worked his way alone, crawling forward in the face of rifle fire and machine gun cross fire, directly toward the same position. This time he hurled three grenades directly toward the emplacement, and three wounded Germans threw up their hands in surrender. His grenades had killed four more enemy soldiers inside the dugout. Sergeant Rauch then rose to his feet, shouted to his men to follow him, and charged fearlessly toward the second emplacement, firing his rifle as he ran. So daring was his action that this second machine gun crew surrendered on the spot. Sergeant Rauch’s brilliant action secured the cross roads and enabled his company to block a vital escape route and capture over two hundred prisoners at this location. The gallant conduct and rugged determination of Sergeant Rauch in this action marks him as an outstanding example of an Infantry non-commissioned officer.