(Citation Needed) – SYNOPSIS: The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Corporal Colon W. Lyles (ASN: 34128504), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving with the 13th Engineer Combat Battalion, 7th Infantry Division, in action against enemy forces during the advance on Southern Okinawa, on 20 June 1945. Corporal Lyles was operator of an armored bulldozer and, while building a road near the front lines, he was confronted by a Japanese sniper, lurking in a nearby ditch. The enemy sniper had wounded the Sergeant in command of other American soldiers working in the area. Corporal Lyles instantly ran his bulldozer to the trench, climbed to the cab roof, and from this exposed position, shot and killed the Japanese sniper. Several minutes later an Infantry supply convoy was halted by intense enemy rifle fire from a cave 60 yards away. Corporal Lyles voluntarily charged his bulldozer directly at the mouth of the cave housing a squad of Japanese soldiers. With their guns firing at him full blast, Corporal Lyles lowered his bulldozer blade and scooped a mound of earth into the cave, partially sealing it. Using the machine as a battering ram, he broke away enough coral rocks to permit inserting the blade into the interior. While raising and lowering the blades upon the enemy, who were armed with carbines, grenades, and TNT satchel charges, Corporal Lyles tore into the enemy defenders. Seeing one enemy soldier who escaped the blade and tried to blow up Corporal Lyles and his bulldozer, he leaned out of his cab and shot him. He then swung his vehicle hard to one side and entangled the remaining six enemy soldiers in the bulldozer’s tracks. Fully aware he was pulverizing the enemy’s primed demolition charges which might have exploded at any moment, he completed the annihilation by crushing the remaining enemy in his bulldozer’s tracks. His heroic actions enable the Infantry supply convoy to continue onward. Corporal Lyles’ extraordinary heroism, personal bravery and zealous devotion to duty exemplify the highest traditions of the military forces of the United States and reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Army.