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 Lowell A. Pilcher, United States Army, for heroism at the risk of life not involving conflict with an armed enemy as a member of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 10th Engineer Battalion (Infantry Division), 3d Infantry Division, Fort Benning, Georgia, on 18 December 1957. While stopping for gas in Ottumwa, Iowa, Sergeant Pilcher noticed a fire in the basement of a house next to the service station. Without hesitation or concern for his own personal safety, he ran to arouse the occupants of the house. Upon finding the door locked, Sergeant Pilcher bodily smashed the door open, entered the burning building and found a man suffocating from smoke fumes. After removing the man to safety and being informed of another victim inside the flaming building, Sergeant Pilcher reentered the house, found the person and led them to safety. When learning that still another person was trapped inside, Sergeant Pilcher used to used his coat as a protective covering, crawled under the heavy concentration of smoke into the rapidly burning building in search of the last victim, and only after losing his coat and becoming almost overcome by smoke fumes did he withdraw from the house. Sergeant Pilcher’s daring courage, presence of mind and unselfishness, saved the lives of two persons, reflecting great credit upon himself and the military service.