The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Private First Class Franklin D. Mertz (ASN: RA-13335310), United States Army, for gallantry in action while serving with Headquarters Company, 2d Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3d Infantry Division, in action against the enemy in Korea. On the morning of 3 December 1950 in the vicinity of Huksu’ri, Korea, Private First Class Mertz utterly disregarded his own personal safety and deliberately exposed himself to enemy fire to assist in the evacuation of a wounded man. In the heat of a fire fight which involved the entire battalion, a call was received from a comrade, who asked for assistance in the evacuation of a wounded man from a company command post, which had been overrun by the enemy. Private First Class Mertz, armed with a carbine, moved a distance of two hundred fifty yards to the command post location, stood up and drew fire upon himself from the enemy, who were within a distance of twenty to thirty yards, in order that the evacuation of the wounded man might be made unnoticed. Only through the unfailing coolness and courage under fire of Private First Class Mertz was the successful evacuation of a wounded man made possible. Private First Class Mertz’s disregard for personal safety, courage and initiative, reflects great credit upon himself and upholds the highest traditions of the Military Service of the United States.