By direction of the President, under the provisions of the act of Congress approved July 9, 1918 (Bul. No. 43, W.D., 1918), Corporal Joe Piovanni (ASN: 542785), United States Army, is cited by the Commanding General, 3d Division, American Expeditionary Forces, and a silver star may be placed upon the ribbon of the World War I Victory Medals awarded him. While serving with Company K, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3d Division, American Expeditionary Forces, at Cierges, France, on 7 October 1918, the advance of his company having been stopped by double bands of machine gun fire, Corporal Piovanni did, without orders, crawl to an exposed position of the greatest danger and, with the aid of his rifle, killed seven German snipers, thereby throwing the enemy defense into such a state of disorganization that his company was able to reach its objective.