The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Second Award of the Silver Star to Sergeant First Class [then Sergeant] Claude H. Childers (ASN: RA-25323598), United States Army, for gallantry in action as a member of Company C, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3d Infantry Division, in action against an armed enemy in Korea. On the morning of 23 June 1951, Sergeant Childers’ platoon, assigned the mission of securing a prominent ridge line running directly to Hill 717, was pinned down by enemy sniper fire from all directions. Sergeant Childers volunteered to go forward in an attempt to wipe out the sniper positions; and crawling over 200 yards of rough terrain, he cautiously advanced on two separate locations and taking the snipers by surprise killed them. He then proceeded further up the hill for another 100 yards and hurling grenades into a third position eliminated another sniper. Upon returning to his unit, he led the recoilless rifle squad back over the same route in order to knock out a hostile machine gun emplacement which he had noticed on his first trip. Pointing out the enemy position to the gunner, Sergeant Childers, by his acute observation and direction, enabled him to destroy the hostile automatic weapon. Sergeant Childers’ extreme courage and fearless gallantry reflects the highest credit upon himself and the military service.