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 Private First Class Howard D. Ford, United States Army, for heroism at the risk of life not involving conflict with an armed enemy as a member of Company D, 728th Military Police Battalion, on 10 July 1959 at Kunsan, Korea. Private Ford was patrolling the POL pipeline on Kunsan Air Base during the hours of darkness when a severe explosion occurred at the pumping station in the vicinity of his patrol. Private Ford hastened to the scene of the blast to find the area engulfed in a rapidly spreading fire fed by high octane gasoline from a ruptured main. Hearing cries for help from the adjacent work area, Private Ford, after being warned that the marsh was covered with gas and that the flames from the pumping station were liable to spread to the marsh at any moment, voluntarily and with complete disregard for his own safety and the dangers of intense heat, explosion, and spreading fire, waded into the gasoline covered marsh water and single-handedly located and carried a seriously injured airman to safety. Private Ford then assisted in the evacuation of the injured man to the Base hospital. Private Ford’s unselfishness, initiative, and prompt courageous action saved it the airman from possible death by drowning or fire from the spreading gasoline-fed flames, reflecting great credit on himself in the military service.