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 Lieutenant (Infantry) Daniel C. Lawler (ASN: 0-400293), United States Army, for gallantry in action while serving with the 35th Infantry Division, in action near ****, Luxembourg, on 4 January 1945. Lieutenant Lawler, a mortar platoon section leader, was serving as forward observer for Company H, *** Infantry Regiment, in the attack against ****. Company F followed tanks in the attack, but the armored vehicles when subjected to intense enemy mortar and rocket launcher fire, withdrew in order to lessen the danger of this fire to the rifle troops. Observing the tanks in the act of withdrawing, a leaderless platoon of Company F was about to do the same when Lieutenant Lawler, realizing the platoon’s situation, left his position of comparative safety and, under enemy machine gun fire, crossed to the head of the platoon and led it to its objective in the woods. The platoon, under his leadership, destroyed three enemy machine gun positions and three rocket-launcher positions. Lieutenant Lawler personally took four prisoners. After leading the platoon to its objective, he returned to his forward observation post and continued the direction of accurate mortar fire in support of the attacking elements. The resourcefulness and aggressive leadership of Lieutenant Lawler, his quick thinking and disregard for personal safety, constitute such gallantry in action as to be in accord with the military traditions of the United States.