The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Private First Class William J. Barnett (ASN: 390771502), United States Army, for gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy while serving with Company B, 116th Medical Battalion, 41st Infantry Division, in action at Huggin’s Perimeter, Soputa Area, New Guinea, on 5 January 1943. Private Barnett volunteered to attempt to rescue a solder of Company B, 163d Infantry Regiment, wounded in the attack on strong enemy positions in Huggin’s perimeter. The wounded man was lying in the open with no immediate cover to shield the advance of the rescue attempt. The terrain was very rough and muddy and completely exposed to enemy pill boxes and any attempt to advance would be under constant enemy observation. Despite these insurmountable obstacles and in the face of a withering enemy fire, Private First Class Barnett, with utter disregard of his own personal safety, made repeated attempts to reach the wounded man only to be driven back by the intensity of the enemy fire. Efforts to attempt a rescue were stopped only after the wounded man was seen to be hit many more times by machine gun fire and could be assumed dead and it was judged humanly impossible to reach the man in the face of such strong enemy activity. Private First Class Barnett’s actions were far above the line of duty and were an inspiration to all the men of his platoon.