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) Lester B. King, United States Army, for gallantry in action as a member of the 11th Field Artillery Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division, in action near Pinamopoan, Leyte, Philippine Islands, during the period 8 and 9 November 1944. Lieutenant King was assigned as artillery forward observer with a company of infantry which had been assigned the mission of guarding the extremely important left flank of our lines. Shortly before noon on 8 November the enemy began launching a series of determined attacks in an attempt to dislodge the company from its commanding position. During one of these attacks around 1200 on 8 November, Lieutenant King became badly wounded in the arm and hand by machine gun fire. Knowing that the hard-pressed company greatly depended on him for artillery support and realizing the extremely urgent need for such support, he refused to leave his post of duty although in great pain from his wounds. For twenty-four hours under heavy fire and with no medical attention except first aid, he brought effective artillery fire on one enemy attack after another until the enemy advance had been stopped and reinforcements could be sent up to help the company out of its difficult situation. By his great skill and heroic conduct, he was to an outstanding degree responsible for breaking up the repeated enemy attacks and for thus permitting the company to hold our left flank intact until a counterattack could be organized to drive the enemy back.