The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Corporal William T. LaRoche (ASN: US-54027284), United States Army, for gallantry in action as a member of Company F, 23d Infantry Regiment, 2d Infantry Division, in action against an armed enemy on 17 – 18 July 1952 near Chorwon, Korea. At that time Corporal LaRoche was serving as Platoon Sergeant in an Infantry Company that was engaged in close combat with a ruthless and numerically superior enemy force in a struggle for a hill known as “Old Baldy”. During the course of this action Corporal LaRoche was wounded in the shoulder but refused evacuation. When his unit ran low on ammunition, he voluntarily left the comparative safety of his foxhole, exposed himself to a withering hail of enemy fire and procured the necessary ammunition. During one of these trips he was again wounded, this time seriously. Even then he refused to leave his comrades until he was so weakened by loss of blood that he was unable to resist forceful evacuation. Corporal LaRoche’s gallant actions won for him the respect and admiration of the entire unit and are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service.