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 Corporal Luis Collazo-De Leon (ASN: RA-30412183), United States Army, for heroism not involving actual conflict with an enemy of the United States while serving with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 65th Infantry, 3d Infantry Division, in action in Korea. On 21 May 1951, near Pyonchon, Korea, the headquarters unit was moving its kitchen to a rear area in a convoy. As the column moved along a slippery mountain road through a drizzling rain in the dark, the kitchen personnel drowsed, huddled under their ponchos on top of a trailer loaded with equipment, attached to a truck. The convoy traveled briskly until it encountered a sharp curve in the road and as the truck and trailer rounded the bend, the latter skidded on the soft shoulder and pulled the truck down a steep cliff, both vehicles plummeting into a swift-flowing mountain stream. Corporal Collazo-De Leon, who had been riding in the cab of another truck, seeing that his sleeping comrades were trapped by the overturned trailer, unhesitatingly plunged into the water and began to rescue the dazed and injured men. Working feverishly to free the soldiers from their perilous positions, he had succeeded in aiding most of them before other men arrived to assist him. His fearless actions undoubtedly saved the lives of several of the unfortunate group of men and Corporal Collazo-De Leon’s singular heroism reflects high credit upon himself and the military service.