The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Staff Sergeant [then Sergeant] Edmund C. Pieller (ASN: 33147267), United States Army, for gallantry in action while serving with Company I, 3d Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, in action against the enemy in the vicinity of St. Laurent-sur-Mer, Normandy, France, 6 June 1944. When his platoon became immobilized by the intensity of an enemy artillery barrage, Sergeant Pieller skillfully led his men through the barrage to the relative safety of the reverse slope of a nearby hill. His ingenuity, alertness, and quick thinking enabled his men to cross the beach with few casualties and to move on to their objective. His gallant actions and dedicated devotion to duty, without regard for his own life, were in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Army.