By direction of the President, under the provisions of the act of Congress approved July 9, 1918 (Bul. No. 43, W.D., 1918), First Lieutenant (Chaplain’s Corps) James John Halligan, Sr., United States Army, is cited by the Commanding General, American Expeditionary Forces, for gallantry in action and a silver star may be placed upon the ribbon of the Victory Medals awarded him. Chaplain Halligan distinguished himself by gallantry in action while serving with the 308th Infantry Regiment, 77th Division, American Expeditionary Forces. On the night of 23 August 1918, Chaplain Halligan, displayed a remarkable devotion to duty and utter disregard of his own safety by coming to Ville Savoye in the outpost zone on the Vesle River to arrange for the burial of four officers and two enlisted men who had been killed by shell fire at the entrance to a natural cave on the hillside above the town and in direct observation from the enemy. Owing to unusually heavy enemy artillery activity the Chaplain was forced to abandon plans for the burials that night. On the following night he appeared again, organized a detail when the command post of the battalion commander was under artillery fire, and supervised, personally, under shell fire, and in the moonlight, the interment of the bodies in the hillside near the cave. Again in the Argonne from September 29th to October 1st, 1918 Chaplain Halligan showed the same untiring devotion to duty and disregard of his own safety when he searched for two days through the forest until he found the body of Lieutenant Colonel Frederick E. Smith, 308th Infantry, and arranged for an appropriate funeral in the cemetery of the ruined church at La Harazee. By his encouraging talks with the men, his cheerful and sympathetic letters to anxious relatives at home, and his general cheerfulness under all the hardships incident to field service, this officer contributed immeasurably to the morale of his regiment.

By direction of the President, under the provisions of the act of Congress approved July 9, 1918 (Bul. No. 43, W.D., 1918), First Lieutenant (Chaplain’s Corps) James John Halligan, Sr., United States Army, is cited by the Commanding General, 77th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, for gallantry in action and a silver star may be placed upon the ribbon of the Victory Medals awarded him. Chaplain Halligan distinguished himself by gallantry in action while serving with the 308th Infantry Regiment, 77th Division, American Expeditionary Forces during World War I.