The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to First Lieutenant (Infantry) Charles L. Swope (ASN: 0-1298153), United States Army, for gallantry in action as a member of the 313th Infantry Regiment, 79th Infantry Division, in action against the enemy on 13 September 1944 in France. Ordered to clear a town, Lieutenant Swope and his intelligence and reconnaissance platoon encountered an enemy machine gun nest and a roadblock. Immediately organizing a patrol to outflank the machine gun position, he ordered his .50 caliber machine gun crew to make a frontal attack on the roadblock. Observing several Germans running into a house, Lieutenant Swope, disregarding heavy enemy small arms fire, advanced toward the house killing one enemy as he entered and took four prisoners. He then led his patrol to the roadblock, quickly neutralizing their position and capturing the entire crew. When one of his men was wounded, Lieutenant Swope crawled over fifty yards of open ground, in full observation of the enemy, in an attempt to retrieve the wounded soldier. After being driven back twice by the heavy volume of enemy fire, he neutralized the enemy weapon, causing the enemy to withdraw from the area. As a result of Lieutenant Swope’s action, the patrol succeeded in capturing seventeen of the enemy, killing several, taking a considerable amount of enemy equipment, and enabling his regiment to continue its pursuit of the enemy. The great courage and aggressive leadership displayed by Lieutenant Swope reflect the highest credit on himself and on the armed forces of the United States.