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] James J. Rispoli (ASN: 32607891), United States Army, for gallantry in action while serving with the 35th Infantry Division, in action in the vicinity of ****, France, on 31 July 1944. Sergeant Rispoli and another enlisted man left the comparative safety of a ditch and crawled to the assistance of several seriously wounded soldiers lying in an exposed position on a road. Sergeant Rispoli carried first one and then another of his wounded comrades to an aid station, a distance of about three hundred yards across an open field swept by enemy machine gun fire. The courageous actions of Sergeant Rispoli, who placed the welfare of his comrades in arms above his personal safety, resulted in saving two soldiers from further wounds and possible death, and reflect the highest credit upon his character as a soldier.