The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Sergeant First Class Jack T. Newkirk (ASN: ER-38711605), United States Army, for gallantry in action as a member of the 3d Signal Company, 3d Infantry Division, in action against an armed enemy in Korea. On 5 March 1951, Sergeant Newkirk, while on an aerial photographic mission between Tukto and Kwangjang-ni, Korea, along the Han River, obtained photographs of enemy entrenchments along the river’s north bank, from extremely low altitudes. Flying at an altitude of three hundred feet, the plane was subjected to severe enemy automatic weapons and small arms fire, making it necessary to fly the course twice to obtain suitable pictures. Noting on the first mission additional emplacements further back from the river bank, Sergeant Newkirk volunteered to perform the mission a second time. This hazardous task was successfully accomplished and a number of excellent pictures were taken. All photographs taken by Sergeant Newkirk were of immense value to the intelligence agencies and the operational sections of the 3d Infantry Division in preparing studies of the enemy situation and subsequently the crossing of the Han River. Sergeant Newkirk’s gallantry and perseverance reflects the highest credit upon himself and the military service.