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 (Corps of Engineers) Lawrence Cane (ASN: 0-1110976), United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving with the 238th Engineer Combat Battalion, 2d Armored Division, in action against the enemy on 30 July 1944 in France. During the night of 30 July 1944, the advance guard of Combat Command B, 2d Armored Division, consisting of some thirty medium tanks and forty other motor vehicles, was in danger of encirclement and annihilation by superior enemy forces attempting to break out of a trap. Lieutenant Cane, despite intense enemy small arms and mortar fire volunteered to personally reconnoiter a route for these vehicles and tanks in order to contact friendly forces. The reconnaissance was made in complete darkness at a time when the enemy situation was unknown, and resulted in encountering strong enemy patrols which infiltrated into the area and cut the roads. The enemy halted Lieutenant Cane’s repeated attempts to find a route with intense machine gun and small arms fire. Despite these factors and with complete disregard for his personal safety, Lieutenant Cane voluntarily and determinedly continued his reconnaissance and found a safe route of withdrawal. By means or the route discovered by this reconnaissance, the tanks and vehicles were safely evacuated to the 2d Armored Division Reserve and saved from possible encirclement and destruction.