The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Staff Sergeant William A. Flory (ASN: 20725324), United States Army, for gallantry in action while serving with the 35th Infantry Division, in action at ****, France, on 10 December 1944. Sergeant Flory, accompanied by an officer and another enlisted man, stealthily crossed an unsteady single-plank pathway placed upon a partially-destroyed railroad bridge, as an advance element attacking a pottery factory more than three hundred yards beyond the east bank of the ****. The factory, consisting of a large building and several smaller structures, had been carefully prepared and well-fortified by its enemy guard of about one hundred men. The trio found the first enemy machine gun crew sleeping by their weapon and quietly dispatched them, thereafter entering the first building where other Germans were sleeping. Hand grenades and close range small arms fire accounted for twelve more enemy dead, but this activity aroused enemy in the adjacent buildings, who quickly fired upon the group as they dashed for the second or main structure, wherein a veritable forest of pottery machines afforded cover and concealment to both the attackers and the attacked. For more than three hours in this building, there was a deafening crescendo of grenade explosions and small arms fire as Sergeant Flory, the officer and other enlisted men, as well as the enemy, moved from machine to machine, throwing grenades at each other’s forces. Relentlessly and fearlessly, Sergeant Flory and his companions pressed forward as other American soldiers, by pre-arranged schedule, approached to assist the trio who closed in and fought the enemy hand-to-hand with knives. When the enemy force capitulated, fifteen enemy lay dead about the machines and twelve were taken prisoner. The gallant actions of Sergeant Flory are in accord with the military traditions of the United States.