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] Herman A. Harp (ASN: 33491447), United States Army, for gallantry in action while serving with Company E, 2d Battalion, 101st Infantry Regiment, 26th Infantry Division, in action against the enemy in the vicinity of Bourgalstroff, France, on 18 November 1944. On 18 November 1944, as elements of a Company E squad advanced near Bourgalstroff, they were subjected to the intense fire of an enemy machine gun and temporarily halted. Directing the squad to cover his advance, Sergeant Harp and a Company E rifleman acting as a squad leader, courageously crawled to a point ten yards to one flank of the hostile machine gun and, tossing a hand grenade accurately into the emplacement, rushed in to close quarters and killed two of the enemy crew. A third member of the hostile gun crew shot and seriously wounded Sergeant Harp in the right arm. When the enemy attempted to escape, the squad immediately opened fire on the foe and killed him. Sergeant Harp’s unusual courage under fire and aggressiveness in action against the enemy reflect the highest credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of the United States.