The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pride in presenting the Silver Star (Posthumously) to Second Lieutenant (Armor) Harold Oliver Kuuttila (ASN: 0-61596), United States Army, for gallantry in action as a member of Company C, 72d Tank Battalion, 2d Infantry Division, in action against an armed enemy on 18 May 1951, in the vicinity of Chaun-ni, Korea. Lieutenant Kuuttila’s platoon was in a blocking position, to allow friendly infantry to withdraw from surrounded positions. Lieutenant Kuuttila was on the top of his tank in order to more effectively control his tank fire. He dismounted from his tank several times to help wounded infantrymen. When he noticed a battalion of enemy coming down a draw, he charged the enemy with his tank, all the time remaining in an exposed position so that he could fire his .50 caliber machine gun. The enemy poured a deadly hail of fire, and threw hand grenades from a distance of 25 feet at the charging tank, but Lieutenant Kuuttila remained outside his tank all through this fire, and managed to slow the advance of the attacking enemy to such an extent as to allow our infantry to complete their withdrawal,. The gallantry displayed by Lieutenant Kuuttila reflects great credit upon himself and upholds the highest traditions of the Military Service of the United States.