The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Sergeant [then Private First Class] Elzy F. Moss (ASN: 35358395), United States Army, for gallantry in action in northern France while serving with the 359th Infantry Regiment, 90th Infantry Division. On 6 July 1944 Sergeant Moss, with his platoon, was holding a defensive position against powerful and repeated counterattacks. The enemy succeeded in placing a machine gun at a point which threatened the platoon’s position. Sergeant Moss, acting at the time as a rifleman, crawled through a hedgerow onto a road and worked himself to a position close to the enemy gun where he threw five hand grenades and thereby wiped out the machine gun nest single-handed. Sergeant Moss’ aggressiveness and determination was in keeping with the highest traditions of the military spirit and an inspiration to the members of his platoon.