The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to Private First Class Frederick S. DeBenedetto (ASN: 31378669), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving with Company C, 59th Armored Infantry Battalion, 13th Armored Division, in action against enemy forces in Germany. On 14 April 1945, when Private DeBenedetto’s squad was pinned down by intense hostile machine gun and automatic weapons fire near Schildgen, Germany, he voluntarily assumed an exposed position to cover the advance of his comrades across an open area. With cool, heroic defiance, he poured a deadly stream of automatic rifle fire into the hostile positions and so effectively diverted their return fire to himself that his squad and the main body of his platoon were able to cross the exposed area without a casualty. Although killed by sniper fire a few moments later, Private DeBenedetto’s intrepid self-sacrifice and supreme devotion to duty live on as an inspiration to the men with whom he fought.