The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Soldier’s Medal to Corporal Odie Duke, Jr. (ASN: RA-15424171), United States Army, for heroism not involving actual conflict with an enemy of the United States as a member of Company B, 2d Engineer Combat Battalion, 2d Infantry Division, in action on 28 August 1951 in the vicinity of P’yongch’on, Korea. On this date his platoon was in the process of raising a bridge which was in danger of being washed away by the rapidly rising water of the Soyang River. A prime mover began to ford the river from the far shore down stream from the bridge. As the driver of the vehicle proceeded across the swollen river, his vehicle sank in the channel within one foot of toe turret. The driver was washed out of the cab, but managed to grab the vertical part of the windshield frame. As the driver was unable to swim, he immediately went into a panic. Corporal Duke without hesitation and disregarding the swift current, dove into the water and swam to the prime mover. Reaching the vehicle he caught the nearly exhausted driver and succeeded in pulling him out of the raging water safely to shore. Corporal Duke’s courageous achievement under such conditions reflects great credit upon himself and the military service.