The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Corporal [then Private] Fredrick Seldon Whitman, Jr. (ASN: RA-3934047), United States Army, for gallantry in action as a member of Company C, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, in action against the enemy on 17 August 1950 at Waegwan, Korea. When his unit launched a counterattack against the enemy, Corporal Whitman picked up a machine gun and with the aid of a South Korean Soldier, charged up a hill under heavy enemy automatic weapons fire and captured the top of the hill. When his unit was forced to withdraw due to the enemy being reinforced, Corporal Whitman stayed on the hill, and with complete disregard for his own safety, continued to fire his machine gun until the ammunition was exhausted. He then fired his carbine into the face of the charging enemy until its ammunition was exhausted. Only then did Corporal Whitman return under heavy fire to his unit. His gallant action greatly assisted the withdrawal of his unit and the evacuation of the wounded, and reflects great credit upon himself and the military service.