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 Second Lieutenant (Artillery) Charles F. Sughrue (ASN: 0-5420284), United States Army, for heroism not involving actual conflict with an armed hostile force on 2 January 1967, while serving with Battery C, 5th Battalion (Automatic Weapons) (Self Propelled), 2d Artillery, in the Republic of Vietnam. On this date, Lieutenant Sughrue was traveling by convoy to a fire mission when he observed an M-42 Armored Track Vehicle which had skidded off the road, rolled down an embankment and lay overturned and burning in a ditch approximately five meters deep. Gasoline was spilling from the fuel tanks and the track, fully combat loaded, was in danger of exploding. Realizing that the crew was in grave danger, he unhesitatingly went into the ditch to render assistance. Finding that the driver had escaped but that the track commander was pinned inside the assistant driver’s compartment, Lieutenant Sughrue, with complete disregard for his own personal safety, along with another rescuer, worked furiously to free the trapped officer. Searing flames were spreading rapidly and deadly bursts from exploding forty millimeter and small arms ammunition became intense. Moments after successfully freeing the track commander and safely removing him from the ditch, the compartment just vacated became engulfed in flames from burning gasoline. Hearing cries from within the turret where the remainder of the crew was trapped, he attempted to control the fire with portable fire extinguishers in the face of ever increasing danger from the exploding ammunition. Although the cries from the turret ceased, Lieutenant Sughrue continued in his concerted attempt to rescue the perishing crewman. This fearless and heroic attempt by Second Lieutenant Sughrue to save human life in the face of grave danger is in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflects great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.