The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Master Sergeant [then Sergeant First Class] Mack W. Clarkson (ASN: RA-18080042), United States Army, for gallantry in action as a member of Company L, 3d Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3d Infantry Division, in action against an armed enemy in Korea. On 12 August 1952, Sergeant Clarkson accompanied a patrol from Company L, 3d Battalion, which had the mission of assaulting an enemy-held position and capturing a prisoner for intelligence purposes. Sergeant Clarkson, in charge of litter teams, followed closely behind the assault element. The patrol suffered several casualties with the initial burst of hostile fire. Sergeant Clarkson, unhesitatingly moved about the fire swept terrain directing the evacuation of the wounded. Sergeant Clarkson, seeing a wounded comrade exposed to direct hostile automatic weapons and small arms fire dashed forward to the side of the wounded man and carried him to a position of relative safety. Sergeant Clarkson in the identical courageous manner evacuated a second wounded comrade. When the order to break contact with the enemy was given, Sergeant Clarkson remained with the covering force and not until assured that all casualties had been evacuated did he leave the battle area. Sergeant Clarkson’s conspicuous gallantry and unwavering determination reflects great credit upon himself and the military service.