The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Corporal [then Private First Class] Richard Allen Williams (ASN: 38189512), United States Army, for gallantry in action while serving with the 182d Infantry Regiment, 23d Infantry Division (Americal), in action at Cebu, Philippine Islands, on 14 April 1945. When the enemy shelled the regimental observation post with 90-mm. mortars, the squad was unable to observe the enemy activity. Completely disregarding his personal safety, Corporal Williams crawled from his foxhole and moved over to the battery commander scope to try to locate the enemy mortars and snipers so they could be silenced. As soon as Corporal Williams exposed himself to the enemy they directed all of their fire on him. Miraculously, he escaped without injury and succeeded in locating the enemy positions, and by radio directed mortar fire on them, thus silencing their guns. Again exposing himself to the enemy, he crawled back to his foxhole to get his sniper rifle and then crawled forward toward the enemy snipers. In the following hour Corporal Williams killed three of the enemy.