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 Staff Sergeant Charlie Jones (ASN: 18162510), United States Army Air Forces, for heroism at Tacloban Strip, Leyte, Philippine Islands, on 17 July 1945. When a P-61 attempted to land on Tacloban Strip before the wreckage of a crashed P-38 could be cleared from the runway, three red parachute flares were fired into the air to warn it against landing. One flare, caught in a strong wind, drifted down on a fuel truck loaded with 100 octane gasoline, starting a fire which rapidly enveloped the truck in flames. Sergeant Jones, Detachment 50, 142d Army Airways Communications System Squadron, was Airport Traffic Controller in the control tower, 40 feet away. Sliding down to the ground, he quickly reached the truck, obtained a fire extinguisher, mounted the flaming vehicle which was about to explode, and without regard for his personal safety, extinguished the fire. By his cool presence of mind and heroic actions, Sergeant Jones was largely responsible for saving the lives of many of his comrades and preventing the destruction of valuable equipment and nearby aircraft.