The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Sergeant First Class James Gau (ASN: RA-20011021), United States Army, for gallantry in action as a member of Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 555th Field Artillery Battalion, 24th Infantry Division, near Pisi-gol, Korea, on 25 April 1951. Motorized elements of his Battalion, en route to new positions, were ambushed by a fanatical and numerically superior enemy force deploying intense mortar, automatic weapons, and small arms fire. Sergeant Gau, with complete disregard for his own safety, took the initiative and moved forward a truck mounted with a machine gun and poured devastatingly accurate fire into the onrushing enemy. Although subjected to a concentrated hail of enemy fire, he refused to leave his position until explicitly ordered to do so. After inflicting severe losses upon the enemy, he returned to help evacuate the wounded. He organized the men around him into an efficient carrying party and remained behind to engage the enemy so that he could furnish covering fire as they moved out with the wounded. Directly responsible for repulsing three enemy assaults, he saved the lives of many comrades and contributed immeasurably to the successful escape from the enemy trap. Sergeant Gau’s courageous action, indomitable fighting spirit and selfless devotion to duty reflect the highest credit on himself and the United States Artillery.