The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 2, 1926, takes pleasure in presenting the Soldier’s Medal to First Sergeant [then Sergeant First Class] Felipe N. Blas, Jr., United States Army, for heroism at the risk of life not involving conflict with an armed enemy in his courageous efforts to aid a fellow soldier at the risk of his own wife. During the early morning of 5 December 1963, Sergeant Blas received word that a shooting had occurred in the troop billets at Fort Riley, Kansas. He immediately rushed to the scene of the incident and was informed that two noncommissioned officers had been shot. The assailant was in the room with a wounded noncommissioned officer and was, presumably, still armed with at least five more rounds of ammunition. Shortly thereafter the military police arrived but were not equipped with tear gas to force the assailant from the room. Realizing that the wounded man might be bleeding to death while waiting for tear gas to arrive, Sergeant Blas and another noncommissioned officer devised a plan to subdue the assailant and rescue the wounded man. Although extremely dangerous, the plan of action was sound, and they were allowed to follow through with it. Arming themselves, they went through a window to a ledge that runs along the building. The plan called for them to move along this ledge, where they would be able to sight the assailant, although this would place them in a position where they could easily be fired upon by the mentally deranged noncommissioned officer. By this route, they entered the room through a window, and discovered the bodies of the assailant, who had shot himself, and the victim. Sergeant Blas’ heroic actions were in the highest traditions of the military service, and reflect great credit upon him, the 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, and the United States Army.