The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Sergeant Leroy J. Watt (ASN: RA-18246871), United States Army, for gallantry in action as a member of Battery A, 37th Field Artillery Battalion, 2d Infantry Division, in action against an armed enemy on 18 May 1951, near Chaun-ni, Korea. On that date, Sergeant Watt was a member of a forward observer party attached to an infantry company that had been forced to withdraw from a hill. Sergeant Wall voluntarily and with complete disregard to his own safety volunteered to stay behind with a machine gun and render covering fire while the company withdrew. While at this post under heavy mortar, automatic weapons, and small arms fire, he inflicted heavy losses on the enemy with devastating machine gun fire and delayed his advance until the company could gain new positions. The gallantry displayed by Sergeant Watt reflects great credit upon himself and upholds the highest traditions of the Military Service of the United States.