The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pride in presenting the Silver Star (Posthumously) to Staff Sergeant Thaine J. Hale (ASN: 20721516), United States Army, for gallantry in action while serving with Company A, 1st Battalion, 134th Infantry Regiment, 35th Infantry Division, in action in the vicinity of ****, France, on 18 September 1944. Sergeant Hale was one of a group of eighty soldiers of the 1st Battalion, *** Infantry Regiment, encircled by enemy forces within the town of **** and forced to take refuge, along with twenty prisoners they had captured, in barns. Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Sergeant Hale, a platoon guide, voluntarily and alone, made his way through enemy lines, met an American tank and, riding on the outside, directed the crew to the vicinity of the trapped force. Fire from this tank dispersed the enemy and provided covering fire which enabled the eighty soldiers to rejoin their units with their prisoners. Sergeant Hale was killed by fire from an enemy tank during the withdrawal from the area. His gallant actions, initiative, and utter disregard for personal safety enabled a large group of his comrades-in-arms to extricate themselves from a precarious position. 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.