Sergeant Cornelius H. Charlton of Company C, 24th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, United States Army, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy near Chipo-Ri, Korea, on June 2, 1951. When his platoon was attacking heavily defended hostile positions on commanding ground and its leader was wounded and evacuated, Charlton assumed command, rallied the men, and spearheaded the assault against the hill. He personally eliminated two hostile positions and killed six of the enemy with rifle fire and grenades, then continued up the slope until the unit suffered heavy casualties and became pinned down. After regrouping the men, he led them forward again, only to be driven back by a shower of grenades. Despite a severe chest wound, he refused medical attention and led a third charge that reached the crest of the ridge. Seeing that the remaining emplacement delaying the advance was on the reverse slope, he attacked it alone, was hit again by a grenade, but destroyed the position with devastating fire and routed the defenders. The wounds he received during these actions resulted in his death, and his courage, leadership, and self-sacrifice reflected the highest credit upon himself, the infantry, and the military service.