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 Sergeant [then Private First Class] Wallace C. Cooley, United States Army Air Forces, for heroism at the risk of life not involving conflict with an armed enemy on 4 April 1947, at the scene of an airplane crash in the fjord at Naranarsauak, Greenland. He was among the first persons at the scene of the crash and, although exhausted from running three-quarters of a mile, without hesitation plunged into the iceberg-filled water. With utter disregard for his safety, he swam several hundred feet to the almost sunken AT-6 aircraft. He voluntarily exposed himself to the freezing temperature of the water and air for an extended period of time while assisting in releasing the injured pilot from the cockpit and seeing him safely to shore. Through his action, the life of the pilot, endangered by injuries and drowning, was saved, and by this act of selfless courage, Sergeant Cooley brought great credit to himself and the military service.