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 Harry Charles Harpel (ASN: 33058014), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving with Company I, 3d Battalion, 141st Infantry Regiment, 36th Infantry Division, in action against enemy forces in the vicinity of Agropoli, Italy, on 9 September 1943. To save his company from a German tank attack during the invasion of Italy, on the Gulf of Salerno, Private First Class Harpel went forward into machine gun and tank fire and destroyed a bridge so the enemy armor could not cross a canal and get at his Infantry unit. His company had occupied positions along a canal running parallel with the beach. The enemy opened with a strong counterattack with armored and mechanized units that threatened to overrun the Americans. As the enemy tanks advanced, Private First Class Harpel saw that their only means of crossing the canal was a bridge surfaced with loose planking. Knowing that the weighty tanks could not come over the bridge if the plans were removed, he ran low through German fire and began working desperately to throw the planks into the canal. In the face of extremely heavy machine gun fire and directly in front of the oncoming tanks’ guns, he rendered the bridge impassable until he was hit and killed by enemy fire. Private First Class Harpel’s extraordinary heroism, personal bravery and zealous devotion to duty at the cost of his life, exemplify the highest traditions of the military forces of the United States and reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Army.