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 First Class Billy E. Kellar, United States Army, for heroism at the risk of life not involving conflict with an armed enemy as a member of the 2141st Army Service Unit, Fort Ritchie, Maryland, near Pennersvill, Pennsylvania, on 23 January 1954. When the frame house in which he and two other families resided caught fire, with disregard for his personal safety and despite the flames and dense smoke, he made desperate attempts to rescue the children of one of the occupants who were trapped in the fire. Each attempt was thwarted by the intensity of the blaze and the blinding, suffocating smoke which prohibited him from successful completion of his mission. Again Sergeant Keller attempted the rescue by climbing to the second story of the house on an outside drain trough, but was unsuccessful when the trough gave way and he fell to the ground. Then, learning that his wife had reentered the building to save personal property, he encouraged her to jump from the second story and he broke her fall with his body. Sergeant Keller’s prompt, determined actions and heroism reflect great credit on himself and the military service.