The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to First Sergeant Robert F. Shipley, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism on 1 April 1865, while serving with Company A, 140th New York Infantry, in action at Five Forks, Virginia. First Sergeant Shipley captured the flag of the 9th Virginia Infantry (Confederate States of America) in hand-to-hand combat.