The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to First Lieutenant (Field Artillery), [then Second Lieutenant] Joseph Fay Shankle (ASN: 0-62399), United States Army, for gallantry in action as a member of Battery B, 64th Field Artillery Battalion, 25th Infantry Division. North of Seoul, Korea, on 21 May 1951, the unit with which Lieutenant Shankle was serving as artillery observer encountered heavy resistance from a strong hostile force entrenched on commanding ground. When the preparatory artillery barrage was lifted, he voluntarily joined the infantry commander at the front of the company as it moved forward for the assault. Taking the place of a wounded platoon leader he repeatedly exposed himself to devastating small arms and automatic weapons fire to rally his men and direct their movement toward the blazing crest. Although painfully wounded by a bursting grenade, he closed on a machine gun emplacement and eliminated the crew with small arms fire and a hand grenade. After the enemy had been driven to flight, he remained to reorganize a perimeter defense before he allowed himself to be evacuated for medical aid. Lieutenant Shankle’s exemplary courage, aggressive leadership and inspirational devotion to duty were in keeping with the historic traditions of the United States Army.