The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Lieutenant Colonel (Field Artillery) John F. Raper, Jr. (ASN: 0-366560), United States Army, for gallantry in action Commanding Officer of the 37th Armored Field Artillery Battalion, 2d Infantry Division, in action against an armed enemy on 15 to 25 May 1951, in the vicinity of the Soyang River, Korea. The enemy had launched an offensive in overwhelming numbers with the avowed intention of breaching the front and annihilating the 2d Infantry Division. Although the enemy attacked fanatically with great masses, the Division ground the advance to a stand-still and executed a counterattack which regained the ground it had lost and resulted in the capture of large quantities of enemy personnel and materiel. In this action, the battalion commanded by Colonel Raper played a vital part in supporting the Division with a heavy volume of fire. Colonel Raper’s coolness in the face of heavy odds, his skillful direction of his fire in support of the infantry, in spite of terrain which militated against the proper tactical employment of artillery and in spite of the close proximity of the enemy, contributed immeasurably to the success of the division’s operations. The number of tactical night displacements forward and the astonishingly accurate and deadly delivery of fire by the 300th Armored Field Artillery Battalion under his superb and gallant leadership resulted in heavy losses being inflicted upon the enemy with relatively light losses to our troops. His wide knowledge of sound artillery tactics and his gallant professional competence reflect great credit upon himself and uphold the highest traditions of the Military Service of the United States.