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 First Class Charles F. Lang (ASN: 31449060), United States Army, for gallantry in action while serving with Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 242d Infantry Regiment, 42d Infantry Division, in action on 11 April 1945, near Schweinfurt, Germany. During the attack on Schweinfurt, Private Lang volunteered to serve as a guard for prisoners taken from the embattled city. Pinned down by artillery and small arms fire numerous times, he followed the leading companies in the attack. While searching one of the prisoners, the enemy soldier attempted to throw a concealed hand grenade into a group of our men who were inspecting captured equipment nearby. Private Lang quickly seized the grenade from the prisoner’s hand and hurled it in another direction where it exploded harmlessly. His promptness, initiative and gallantry in this emergency thereby saved several of his comrades from certain injury or death.