The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 2, 1926, takes pleasure in presenting the Soldier’s Medal to Staff Sergeant Norbert K. B. Pieper, United States Army, for heroism at the risk of life not involving conflict with an armed enemy on 30 December 1968, by displaying complete disregard for his own personal safety to save the lives of three young children floundering helplessly in the icy waters of a lake located in Grafenwohr, Germany. Sergeant Pieper and two members of his squad were en route to Weiden from their Grafenwohr training site in their squad 5 ton dump truck to pick up building material for an engineer project. As the vehicle proceeded through Grafenwohr, Sergeant Pieper, riding in the right front of the 5 ton vehicle, noticed children playing on a lake in town. As he watched he saw three of the children break through the ice and fall into the lake. Immediately aware of the sudden danger, Sergeant Pieper and one of his men sprang from the truck and raced to the edge of the pond before the vehicle came to a full stop. Sergeant Pieper, realizing the ice was dangerously thin, directed the other soldiers to go around the pond and come toward the children from the other side. Disregarding his own personal safety for that of the children, Sergeant Pieper immediately flopped down on the ice and crawled as quickly as possible for the bobbing children in the 9 foot deep freezing water. The children, once pulled from the icy water, were helped to shore by an unidentified German teenager. The German boy, however, too heavy for the thin ice, also broke through into the frigid waters. Sergeant Pieper, already exhausted and soaking wet in the zero degree weather, again risked his own life to aid another in danger, leaping to the aid of the young German boy. The ice in this area of the lake was very thin and, after aiding the German boy, the ice broke and Sergeant Pieper fell into the freezing water. Sergeant Pieper, his physical composure maintain, managed to stay afloat. A member of Sergeant Piper’s squad, realizing his squad leader was in grave danger, immediately crawled over and aided the Sergeant out of the hole in the ice and over to the safety of the shore. The exceptional heroism displayed by Sergeant Piper’s absolute disregard for his own personal safety, in his desire to aid others, has earned him the respect and admiration of all with whom he service, and reflects great credit upon them, the Division, and the United States Army.