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 Harry H. Allen, Jr., United States Army, for heroism at the risk of life not involving conflict with an armed enemy as a member of Heavy Mortar Battery, 2d Airborne Battle Group, 502nd Infantry, over the Warner Drop Zone, Munich, Germany, on 4 October 1957. While executing a parachute jump with general purpose equipment bags from a C-110 aircraft, a fellow soldier’s parachute developed a malfunction, causing him to plunge fully into Sergeant Alan’s canopy. Although his own suspension lines were twisted, Sergeant Allen, sensing the immediate danger of his comrades position, unhesitatingly reached out and grasped the silk of the falling man’s collapsed canopy as it passed through his risers. Realizing that the release of his general purpose equipment bag might seriously injure his helpless companion, Sergeant Alan displayed extraordinary presence of mind by holding his equipment bag intact and calling to warm his fellow paratrooper to do likewise so as to prevent a sudden jerk of the bag falling free, ripping the canopy from his hands and causing the imperiled soldier to fall to his death or to serious injury. Despite the fact that the weight of this additional equipment caused Sergeant Alan’s parachute to collapse several times, he continued to hang onto the victim and both men landed safely on one parachute. Sergeant Alan’s quick thinking and heroic action averted serious injury or possible death to his fellow paratrooper, reflecting distinct credit on himself and the military service.