The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to First Lieutenant (Field Artillery) Wallace B. Gatrell (ASN: 0-78844/0-946697), United States Army, for gallantry in action against an armed enemy while serving with Battery B, 37th Field Artillery Regiment, 2d Infantry Division, on 26 November 1950, in the vicinity of Kunu-ri, Korea. On that date he was in charge of a forward observer party attached to a rifle company which was forced to withdraw by numerically superior enemy forces. Lieutenant Gatrell placed his men on tanks and while directing this operation he was wounded by enemy fire. As the tanks moved down the beach of the Chongchon River, one man was wounded by the intense fire and fell from the tank. Lieutenant Gatrell ordered the tank to stop in a draw and, despite his wounded condition, returned to where the wounded man lay and carried him to the tank. The tank then moved out into the enemy fire and another man was wounded and knocked off the tank. He again ran through the heavy hostile fire, brought the wounded man back and placed him on the tank. Upon reaching an aid station he made sure that all of his wounded men were attended to before he would allow his own wound to be treated. The gallantry displayed by Lieutenant Gatrell reflects great credit upon himself and the military service.