The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Private First Class Cecil R. Yates (ASN: 39200742), United States Army, for gallantry in action while serving with Company I, 3d Battalion, 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82d Airborne Division, in action on 15 June 1944, near ****, France. After all attempts by his regiment to establish contact with the 60th Infantry had failed, a volunteer patrol, of which Private First Class Yates was a member, started out to locate the unit. In order to contact them, this patrol had to work through an area into which the enemy had infiltrated. It moved through small villages which contained enemy snipers armed with machine guns. The patrol walked far into enemy lines and was fired on by machine guns and machine pistols. A severe cross-fire fight resulted, during which time the patrol was subjected to heavy mortar fire, as well as small arms. The patrol leader, with whom Private First Class Yates was operating as a scout was seriously wounded, but Private First Class Yates refused to withdraw and continued to fight. The patrol started to work back to their unit under heavy fire when Private First Class Yates was shot through the right shoulder. He continued fighting under mortar and heavy machine gun fire all the way back, frequently running into snipers armed with machine pistols. Private First Class Yates was highly instrumental in the successful completion of the patrol mission and the determination of enemy strength and dispositions. The actions of Private First Class Yates reflect great credit upon himself and the military service.