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 Charles McGonaghy (ASN: 31306201), United States Army, for gallantry in action while serving with Company L, 3d Battalion, *** Infantry Regiment, 35th Infantry Division, in action in the vicinity of ****, Belgium, on 1 January 1945. As Company L, *** Infantry Regiment, advanced against stiff enemy resistance near ****, the two forward platoons were pinned down by machine gun fire emanating from a German pillbox on high ground in the path of the advance. Sergeant McGonaghy, leader of a supporting machine gun section, made his way forward, gained a position on one of the few blind spots of the enemy emplacement, and threw hand grenades into an aperture, effectively silencing the machine gun and killing the Germans occupying the pillbox. By his heroism and unhesitating action, the company was enabled to advance and capture its objective. Sergeant McGonaghy’s intrepidity is in keeping with the highest military traditions.