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 Raymond J. Jensen (ASN: 36415417), United States Army, for gallantry in action while serving with the 129th Infantry Regiment, 37th Infantry Division, in action against the enemy at Bougainville, Solomon Islands, on 18 March 1944. Private First Class Jensen, with several companions, laid down such effective fire from their isolated pillbox that repeated assaults by numerically superior Japanese forces were repulsed. Early the following morning, he voluntarily accompanied an officer on a hazardous mission to determine if an enemy mine field piece had been silenced. As they neared their objective, the party was fired upon by entrenched and concealed hostile troops. During the fire fight that ensued, Private First Class Jensen again distinguished himself by valiantly crawling to strongpoints and destroying them with hand grenades. He was finally wounded and, refusing to be evacuated, remained in a shell hole and loaded magazines for an automatic rifleman. The gallant actions and dedicated devotion to duty demonstrated by Private First Class Jensen, without regard for his own life, were in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Army.