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) Claude Williams, Jr. (ASN: 0-927593), United States Army, for gallantry in action while serving with Company L, 3d Battalion, 254th Infantry Regiment, 63d Infantry Division, in action on 19 March 1945, in the vicinity of Ensheim, Germany. A combat patrol led by Lieutenant Williams into the Siegfried Line was ambushed and split into two groups, one of which lost contact. After withdrawing one group under heavy machine gun fire to safety on top of a steep, wooded hill, Lieutenant Williams discovered that the radio operator was missing; thereupon, he crawled under heavy small arms fire down the hill and led that soldier to safety. Later, Lieutenant Williams again returned under fire to the ambush area in an effort to locate and direct to safety the missing members of his patrol. Due to Lieutenant Williams’ courageous leadership, and tenacity of purpose, the patrol suffered minimum casualties in an exceedingly grave situation. Lieutenant Williams’ gallantry reflects the highest credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of the United States.