The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Second Lieutenant (Infantry) Michael P. Sedmak (ASN: 0-1306156), United States Army, for gallantry in action while serving with the 27th Infantry Division at Saipan, Mariana Islands, on 26 June 1944. When his platoon was halted by heavy enemy fire across a narrow front, Lieutenant Sedmak received orders to reduce it and push on. Moving out closely behind a barrage of his company’s mortars and machine guns, his platoon was met with a renewed hail of enemy fire. He failed to receive an order to withdraw because his radio operator was pinned down. Despite the withering fire he led his men against the objective until he had lost two-thirds of his platoon and saw that accomplishment of his mission and evacuation of the wounded was impossible. He then ordered that smoke grenades be fired to create a screen to get the wounded to cover and to help in effecting reorganization and withdrawal. Lieutenant Sedmak was wounded in the arm and leg as he exposed himself in moving from man to man to give them his plan. His plan succeeded and the wounded were evacuated by the remaining eleven men of the platoon who moved back to safety not knowing that Lieutenant Sedmak, wounded and trapped in a hole, had been left on the battlefield.