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 Theodore H. Cerwood (ASN: 20317850), United States Army, for gallantry in action while serving with Company D, 307th Airborne Engineer Battalion, 82d Airborne Division, in action on 24 December 1944, at ****, Belgium. Staff Sergeant Cerwood, Platoon Sergeant, was at the ***, Belgium Highway Bridge when it was scheduled to be blown, but the charge failed to go off. Several more attempts were made to set off the charge but they too failed. When the bridge was about to fall into enemy hands, consisting of one platoon, supported by a medium tank on the other shore, Staff Sergeant Cerwood voluntarily carried several boxes of TNT on the bridge under heavy enemy fire which he helped place and prepare for demolition. The bridge was successfully demolished. Staff Sergeant Cerwood’s realization of the importance that the bridge be destroyed, his willingness to accomplish a difficult task with utter disregard for his own personal safety and skill of doing the work aided materially in accomplishing an important mission. His conduct was in keeping with the high traditions of the Airborne Forces of the United States Army.