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 James W. Arnold (ASN: 35740844), United States Army, for gallantry in action while serving with Company C, 142d Infantry Regiment, 36th Infantry Division, in action on 6 December 1944, in France. The 3d Platoon of Company C was assigned the mission of crossing a canal and capturing an area which had been converted into an island by flooding. By using a three-man rubber boat in establishing a shuttle system, Private Arnold, a rifleman in the 1st Squad, and his companions crossed the canal under harassing artillery and small arms fire. The platoon was swiftly reorganized, and missions were assigned to each squad. The 1st Squad was ordered to secure the road leading off the opposite end of the island and to reduce hostile strong points along the route of advance. When his squad encountered enemy resistance in a burned factory, Private Arnold worked his way to an advantageous position and delivered accurate fire against the hostile position, assisting materially in driving the enemy from the building. Approaching a strong point in an air raid shelter, he advanced to within a few yards of the dugout and wounded the sentry with his rifle fire. Swiftly moving forward, he hurled a hand grenade into the entrance of the dugout, forcing 26 hostile soldiers to surrender and seriously wounding several others. Driving relentlessly forward, he and his comrades attained their objective in a minimum of time, and the strategically important island was captured by the friendly troops.