The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Master Sergeant Merritt Leroy Wynn (ASN: RA-36075018), United States Army, for gallantry in action as a member of Company K, 3d Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, in action against an armed enemy in Korea. On 26 November 1950, at Kunu-ri, Korea, Master Sergeant Wynn’s platoon was encircled by a numerically superior hostile force. In an attempt to breach the hostile lines, he led his men across a valley until intense small arms and machine gun fire made further movement impossible. Directing his men to continue without him, he moved to an exposed vantage point and diverted the enemy’s attention with a heavy volume of effective counterfire. His aggressive action enabled the platoon to accomplish its mission. Master Sergeant Wynn’s courage, initiative and selfless devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.