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 First Class Paul K. Tahara (ASN: 39916316), United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy while serving with Company H, 2d Battalion, 442d Regimental Combat Team, attached to the 34th Infantry Division, on 26 June 1944, in the vicinity of Suvereto, Italy. While his battalion was pinned down by heavy fire from an enemy position, Private First Class Tahara and a comrade accompanied a lieutenant on a mission to determine the location of the enemy guns. After completing this mission they crawled back under repeated enemy machine gun and machine pistol fire. When they reached the area previously occupied by one of their companies, they came upon a seriously wounded soldier. Picking him up, Private First Class Tahara and his comrades carried him to the cover of a culvert 30 yards away. When the lieutenant went for aid, it became no longer safe to stay there, so Private First Class Tahara and his comrade carried the wounded soldier to the safety of a building across a flat open field with only a shallow ditch for cover. For the entire 300 yards, under constant enemy fire, they carried the wounded man on their backs as they inched ahead on their stomachs. Upon nearing the building they left the security of the ditch and made a dash for the building, exposing themselves completely to enemy fire. After administering first aid, in partial view of the enemy, they carried him back to our lines under cover of our own artillery and mortar barrage. Private First Class Tahara’s daring courage and utter disregard for personal safety under extremely dangerous enemy fire exemplify the highest traditions of the Armed Forces.