The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pride in presenting the Silver Star (Posthumously) to Second Lieutenant (Infantry), [then Technical Sergeant] Frank A. Gonzales (ASN: 0-887338), United States Army, for gallantry in action as a member of the 35th Infantry Division, in action in the **** Sector, Normandy, France, on 12 July 1944. Lieutenant Gonzales assumed command of his platoon after his platoon leader was killed in action. During an attack, his platoon was stopped by enemy machine gun cross-fire and snipers emplaced in hedgerows. Lieutenant Gonzales crawled to the rear, took command of an inadequately-manned tank destroyer and directed its driver to the site of the enemy resistance where he directed the firing of a three-inch gun in the destruction of enemy machine gun emplacements, and himself emptied a .50-caliber and a .30-caliber machine gun into other enemy machine gun emplacements, and then, finally, after exhausting the machine gun ammunition, he used hand grenades to destroy an enemy mortar section. The crew of another enemy machine gun surrendered. This performance was substantially repeated later the same day, and when the tank destroyer mired-down, Lieutenant Gonzales went to the rear and directed another tank destroyer to tow the first to a position of safety. He was killed in action in a subsequent engagement. The courage, tenacity of purpose and zealous devotion to duty on the part of Lieutenant Gonzales reflects the highest credit upon his character as a soldier and entitles him to a position of honor in the annals of fighting infantrymen.