The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Private Merle A. McCoy, United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy while serving with the 36th Infantry Division in the Mediterranean Theater of Action on 22 January 1944. Private McCoy was ordered to run a forward wire from the battalion switchboard while his unit attacked across a river. Under intense artillery and mortar barrage, he laid the wire to the river bank, then followed his battalion commander across a foot bridge through heavy enemy fire, extending the wire as he went. When shell fire broke the wire, he went back and repaired it in several places. As the barrage increased in intensity, further attempts to repair the wire became futile. He remained with the battalion commander acting as runner until ordered back across the river.