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 Otto Bytof (ASN: 16156579), United States Army, for gallantry in action while serving with Battery C, 387th Field Artillery Battalion, 104th Infantry Division, in action in Holland on 31 October to 1 November 1944. Early in the afternoon of 31 October 1944 the battery commander of Private Bytof’s battery and part of his detail section laid a wire from the battery position east to a designated river. Upon arriving at the dike just short of the river, they found that the enemy had cut off a friendly infantry battalion that had made a river crossing earlier that morning and as a result were without ammunition or communication. The party observed and adjusted artillery fire on the enemy for their own battery, even though they themselves were under heavy enemy machine gun and mortar fire. As soon as darkness settled down, Private Bytof, with four other volunteers, accompanied the battery commander in making a rifer crossing for the purpose of establishing communications with the infantry battalion and thereby bring relief to their distressed comrades in the battalion. This action was carried out upon his own volition with complete disregard for his own personal safety. He was pinned down many times by enemy machine gun fire after the river crossing had been made, the mission, however, was accomplished. During the action after the river had been crossed, the battery commander was killed. Private Bytof, upon the completion of this action, exemplified bold courage and bravery in aiding to carry the body of his battery commander back across the dike and an open field under withering enemy fire to a floating foot bridge, which had been established during the night, and from thence to an aid station. This act of courage in fulfilling a mission above and beyond the call of duty is a distinct credit to the military service and exemplifies the highest standards of the American Soldier.