The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to First Sergeant [then Staff Sergeant] Oscar D. Bauer, United States Army, for gallantry in action while serving with Company E, 358th Infantry Regiment, 90th Infantry Division. On the morning of 21 February 1945, First Sergeant Bauer was instructed to send a detail of engineers to operate with one platoon of Company E, 358th Infantry Regiment, which had been given the mission of destroying an enemy pillbox situated on commanding ground approximately 2,000 yards forward of the front lines. Because of the importance of the assignment and the hazardous nature of the operation, First Sergeant Bauer elected to lead his Engineer detail himself. The advance with the Infantry was halted between our front lines and the enemy emplacement while the Infantry platoon leader advanced with a reconnaissance party. But when they failed to return as expected, First Sergeant Bauer followed to find that they had run into a series of booby traps. As the seriously wounded platoon leader was sent to our lines, First Sergeant Bauer maneuvered with his Engineers and the Infantry through a wooded hillside to the flank of the enemy pillbox from where they discovered an enemy machine gun position. Surprising this position they forced its surrender and sent one of the prisoners with an ultimatum demanding the surrender of the occupants of the pillbox. When the occupants of the pillbox failed to respond promptly to this ultimatum, First Sergeant Bauer, with utter disregard for personal safety, mounted the pillbox with a charge of C-2 and this threat when communicated to the occupants, compelled their quick surrender Questioning of the thirteen EM and one officer prisoner and a quick examination of the stronghold revealed the fact that this pillbox contained an enemy artillery outpost with telephone communication intact. The prisoners begged that no weapons be fired because instructions to their artillery called for a barrage laid around their position should such occur. After demolishing the pillbox, the party returned with its prisoners to the area where the booby traps had been encountered. Again without regard to personal safety, First Sergeant Bauer worked his way to the wounded soldier and carried him to clear ground, after which the entire party proceeded to our lines. As they were withdrawing, enemy troops appeared at the blown pillbox but in the fire fight which occurred, they were forced to withdraw, leaving two of their members dead. The capture and destruction of this pillbox eliminated a source of protected enemy fire on our positions and deprived the enemy of a protected artillery observation post on the commanding ground which they then held. First Sergeant Bauer’s initiative, determination, excellent leadership and gallant actions were responsible for the success of the mission and were in conformity with the highest traditions of the armed forces.