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 Willis B. Esters (ASN: 34004742), United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy while serving with the 446th Quartermaster Troop Transport Company, attached to the 7th Armored Division, in action in the area of Chartres, France, on 16 August 1944. Sergeant Esters was ordered to drive a number of military police to Chartres to take into custody 37 German prisoners who were being held in the city by the Free French. When he reached the outskirts he was told that, although the city proper was in American hands, there was enemy action further up the road and it would not be safe to proceed. Undeterred, he continued through enemy fire, finally locating the prisoners in the Cathedral. The city was undergoing severe bombardment by the enemy, and shells were exploding dangerously close. Sergeant Esters and his assistant remained outside under hostile fire and brought the vehicle into position while the military police entered the Cathedral. Having loaded the prisoners on the truck, he drove through the lines again, to the prisoner of war enclosure. Sergeant Esters’ determination and courage in completing a difficult assignment reflect great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of the United States.