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 Thomas W. Caldrone (ASN: 35013155), United States Army, for gallantry in action while serving with Company K, 3d Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2d Infantry Division, in action against the enemy on 15 December 1944, in the vicinity of Rocherath, Belgium. Sergeant Caldrone’s company was ordered to lead a night attack to capture an important road junction. This road junction was important because its capture meant the exploitation of a break through by armored vehicles which had been prevented for days by fierce German resistance around the junction. Sergeant Caldrone was one of the lead scouts in the attack which had to be made in single file because it was started through the heart of an enemy mine field. Sergeant Caldrone started out by following a tape line previously laid along a clear path by members of the 2d Battalion. It was so dark that the tape was invisible most of the time, and Sergeant Caldrone knew that a step to the right or left of the path meant almost sure death, he followed this tape for several hundred yards until it ended. Then he bravely went forward on his own. Suddenly an enemy machine gun opened fire on him from a pill box on his left. Sergeant Caldrone immediately opened fire on the pill box and received more enemy machine gun and rifle fire. Acting entirely on his own initiative, and in the face of this heavy fire, Sergeant Caldrone attacked the pill box and captured its members, miraculously escaping injury. On 17 December 1944, the 9th Infantry Regiment was ordered to move to meet a fierce German counterattack. Company K was ordered to hold a road junction at all costs near Rocherath, Belgium. In this defensive position Sergeant Caldrone again displayed heroism and courage far above and beyond the call of duty. With his murderous fire he was instrumental in stopping several phases of a German attack made by armored vehicles and infantry. Sergeant Caldrone repeatedly left the protection of his fox hole to enable himself to better engage groups of enemy riflemen, and was constantly in danger from heavy artillery concentrations laid down by both enemy and friendly artillery. The leadership, courage, and unswerving devotion to duty, displayed by this enlisted man, reflect great credit upon himself and uphold the highest traditions of the United States Army.