The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting a Third Gold Star in lieu of a Fourth Award of the Distinguished Flying Cross to Major Floyd Claude Kirkpatrick (MCSN: 0-10979), United States Marine Corps, for heroism and extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as Pilot of a Plane in Marine Fighter Squadron TWO HUNDRED TWELVE (VMF-212), during operations against enemy aggressor forces in Korea on 30 August 1951. Flying over mountainous terrain in extremely adverse weather, Major Kirkpatrick skillfully led his division to the target area by use of instruments during a close air support mission. Learning that friendly forces were pinned down by a strong concentration of ground fire from a body of 600 of the enemy strategically located in trenches and bunkers on a ridge at the head of a valley, he immediately directed his flight to orbit and personally reconnoitered the area at extremely low altitude in the face of heavy hostile anti-aircraft fire to pinpoint the positions occupied by the enemy accurately. Rejoining his flight, he initiated two daring napalm attacks against the hostile troops entrenched on the ridge, scored four direct hits on the bunkers with his rockets which caused secondary explosions and large fires and, despite increasing enemy fire, continued to press determined strafing runs on the objective until his ammunition was expended. By his marked courage, brilliant airmanship and unswerving devotion to duty, Major Kirkpatrick contributed materially to the success of his slight in completely obliterating the hostile stronghold and in inflicting 480 casualties on the enemy forces, thereby upholding the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.