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 Specialist Fourth Class Samuel B. Cunningham, United States Army, for heroism at the risk of life not involving conflict with an armed enemy as a member of Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 3d Artillery, 2d Armored Division, on 12 October 1970 at Killeen, Texas, by entering a burning and smoke-filled residence at great personal hazard and voluntary risk to his own life to rescue a four-month-old baby. Arriving at his home at 1645 hours, 12 October 1970, Specialist Cunningham heard a muffled roar followed by a scream coming from the residence of his next-door neighbor. Immediately running to the scene, he found Specialist Five David G. Allmon crawling from the front door with his shirt ablaze. Despite the flames of burning gasoline which engulfed the front room, and without regard for his personal safety or the first degree burns he received, Specialist Cunningham extinguished the flames of Allmon’s burning shirt by smothering them with his bare hands. After assisting Allmon away from the increasingly intense heat, he learned that the Allmon baby was still in the house. Running to the rear of the house, he attempted to smash his way through a locked door into the smoke filled kitchen. Forced back by a wave of intense heat and dense smoke, he ran to the side of the house to attempt entry through a window. Breaking out the screen over the window with his fists he was able to tear the frame from its hinges and pry open the window. Climbing into the window ledge and holding his breath against the dense smoke which made it difficult to see into the room, he was able to locate the crib holding the baby and to pull the crib over by the window. After lifting the child from the crib he jumped to safety off of the five foot high window ledge with a child in his arms. Specialist Cunningham’s intelligent and coolheaded actions, coupled with his heroism and bravery in the face of great personal hazard to his own safety, were in the finest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit on him, his unit, and United States Army.