The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Lieutenant Colonel (Infantry) Victor Woodfin Hobson, Jr. (ASN: 0-23038), United States Army, for gallantry in action on 21 April 1945, while serving with the 351st Infantry Regiment, 88th Infantry Division, in the vicinity of San Giovanni, Italy. Colonel Hobson was leading a column of tanks forward to join the 1st Battalion in the attack upon the town. Colonel Hobson went ahead of the column of tanks in his jeep to reconnoiter the route of advance. As he approached a bridge over a canal, he was fired on by three machine guns. Colonel Hobson, forced to abandon his vehicle, crawled forward in the face of intense fire to complete his reconnaissance for a by-pass around the demolished bridge. Having satisfied himself that the tanks could scale the dikes and ford the canal, Colonel Hobson then returned to the tanks. He climbed onto the turret of the lead tank, moved it to an effective firing position, and although exposed to a continuous hail of machine gun fire, he directed the fire of his tanks to effectively that the three enemy machine guns were quickly destroyed and many Germans were killed. When he arrived at the first battalion assembly area with the tanks, Colonel Hobson deployed the infantry and led them forward on foot through heavy enemy mortar, self-propelled artillery and machine gun fire in the attack on the town. As the fighting moved toward the center of the town, forward elements were stopped by fanatical resistance from Germans in a building, supported by two self-propelled guns further down the street. The devastating fire of these two guns forced our troops to take shelter in doorways and buildings. Realizing the necessity for quick action, Colonel Hobson ran to the nearest tank and brought it to a street intersection, where he directed its fire to knock out the two German guns. Colonel Hobson then rallied several nearby soldiers who had taken cover from the intense small arms fire, and personally led them in an assault, throwing hand grenades through the windows, until this German strongpoint was overwhelmed. After the fighting had ceased, Colonel Hobson’s task force had knocked out two enemy self-propelled guns, killed seventy-seven enemy soldiers and captured approximately three hundred prisoners. Colonel Hobson’s gallantry in action sets a fine example of courage and leadership for his fellow officers and men.