Silver Star
The Silver Star Medal is the United States' third-highest military award exclusively for combat valor, ranking fifth in the overall precedence of military decorations. It is awarded for "gallantry in action" during military operations involving conflict and is the highest award for combat valor not specific to any single branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. The medal can be bestowed by any military branch—including the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marines—to their own members, members of other branches, foreign allies, and even civilians supporting U.S. combat missions.
Citation
Headquarters, 36th Infantry Division, General Orders No. 284 (1944)
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 Charles Henry Coolidge (ASN: 34286521), United States Army, for gallantry in action while serving with Company M, 141st Infantry Regiment, 36th Infantry Division, on 31 May 1944 in Italy.
Sergeant Coolidge’s machine gun section had participated in a forced night march to cut off the enemy garrison in a beleaguered strong-point. Shortly after daylight the battalion made contact with the enemy and deployed for a fight. Operating in support of a rifle company, the machine gun section received severe sniping and point blank fire from self-propelled guns. When the enemy counterattacked in strength, Sergeant Coolidge and the other members of the machine gun section greated them with devastating fire and inflicted many casualties. Approximately a company of enemy threatened the left flank. Quickly moving their guns to an exposed position only twenty-five yards from the nearest enemy, Sergeant Coolidge and his company used a free traverse to place such an effective fire on the onrushing foe that those not killed or wounded were panicked into scattered disorganization and made easy to capture. Thus the threat was dispelled largely because of the quick-witted courage of Sergeant Coolidge and his comrades. His gallant action reflects great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of the United States.
