August 9, 1945

In a field near Linz, Austria, Sergeant Franklin M. Steward of Ava, Missouri, is decorated with the Bronze Star Medal by Colonel Julian H. George, commanding officer of the 259th Infantry Regiment, 65th Division. Sergeant Stewart was cited for braving enemy fire to repair vital communications lines during the 65th Division’s 60-day, 600-mile drive through Germany and upper Austria, as part of General Patton’s Third Army.                                                                   Herald Archives