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 Harold M. Hoffman, United States Army, for gallantry in action against the enemy while serving with a Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, III Corps, in Belgium on 18 December 1944. His troop was ambushed by a German reconnaissance battalion while fighting to stop the spreading counteroffensive launched by the Germans two days earlier. Looking down a narrow valley north of Poteau, Belgium, Staff Sergeant Hoffman saw a patrol of eight men and two half-tracks about to be encircled by a company of German infantry and subjected to enemy machine gun, bazooka, mortar and small arms fire. Staff Sergeant Hoffman ran to the side of the friendly unit under machine gun fire and set up a base of fire to slow the approaching enemy. A Nazi bazooka supported and knocked out one of the American tanks. Climbing in full view of the enemy, Staff Sergeant Hoffman pulled out the two wounded crew members and placed them in a position of security, and then loaded the wounded soldiers aboard a half track and drove them to safety. His gallant actions resulted in the rescuing of a patrol of eight men and two half-tracks that had been ambushed by the enemy.