The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 2, 1926, takes pleasure in presenting the Soldier’s Medal to Corporal LeRoy P. Birkedahl (ASN: 20710571), United States Army, for heroism involving voluntary risk of life not involving conflict with an armed enemy while serving with Company M, 164th Infantry Regiment, 23d Infantry Division (Americal), in action at Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, on 1 December 1942. When a defective 81-mm. mortar shell exploded within a mortar prematurely, killing one man, wounding four others and setting fire to a pile of ammunition nearby, Corporal Birkedahl courageously proceeded to the conflagration, assisted in carrying the wounded to safety, removed round after round of ammunition and assisted in extinguishing the flames.