The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Lieutenant Colonel (Infantry), [then Major] Jack Edward Conley (ASN: 0-348126), United States Army, for gallantry in action while serving with Headquarters, 100th Infantry Battalion, 442d Regimental Combat Team, 92d Infantry Division, in action against the enemy on 17 April 1945, in Italy. Lieutenant Colonel Conley was commander of a battalion ordered to attack the town of Fosdinova. He immediately set out to make a personal reconnaissance, despite systematic enemy artillery barrages which had forced all personnel to take cover and had already killed four men and wounded five. With utter disregard for his safety, Lieutenant Colonel Conley took a radio operator with him and proceeded to a hill 150 yards in front of the most forward elements of his battalion. There, under direct hostile observation and constant fire, he remained until he had made a thorough study of Fosdinova and the strongpoints of its defenses. He discovered enemy machine gun emplacements, a 20mm gun, and a self-propelled gun housed in a building, developed a tentative plan of attack, and sent a detailed report of the situation to regimental headquarters. He ordered a telephone line brought up and directed accurate artillery fire which completely neutralized an enemy machine gun emplacement and its supporting riflemen. On returning to the CP he learned that one of his men was lost and immediately went out under a heavy hostile barrage and found the man. Lieutenant Colonel Conley’s inspiring combat leadership throughout this action exemplifies the gallantry traditions of the United States Army.