(Citation Needed) – SYNOPSIS: Sergeant Joseph N. Peliquin, United States Army Air Forces, was awarded the Soldier’s Medal for heroism not involving actual conflict with an enemy of the United States in a successful attempt to extinguish a fire in a B-24 Liberator that was loaded with high explosives in England during World War II. The fire threatened the destruction of several heavy bombers in the dispersal area as well as the lives of a number of men working in that vicinity. Flames broke out in the bomber when a pistol was discharged accidentally. As Assistant Crew Chief, Sergeant Peliquin was walking away from the plane just after making a pre-flight check before a bombing attack on a target over Nazi-occupied Europe when he noticed smoke billowing through the open bomb bay. Although he knew the B-24 was loaded with bombs, including incendiaries and .50 caliber machine gun ammunition, he grabbed a fire extinguisher, ran back to the burning arsenal and directed a stream of chemical through the bomb bay opening into the flames. After exposing himself for several minutes to possible explosion, he succeeded in putting out the fire, saving the Liberator and several other bombers in the area from possible destruction and safeguarded the lives of a number of men working nearby.