The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 2, 1926, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to First Lieutenant James R. Kiser (AFSN: 0-1909329), United States Air Force, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight in support of United Nations Forces in Korea on 24 March 1951. Departing an airbase in Southern Japan in adverse weather conditions, Lieutenant Kiser led a flight of three F-80 type aircraft on a pre-briefed armed reconnaissance mission to the Sinmask sector of Korea. Arriving in the target area at dusk, the flight reconnoitered the area looking for targets of opportunity. Lieutenant Kiser skillfully located numerous camouflaged supply-laden carts and with excellent planning, the flight attacked the targets in a devastating napalm bombing attack, destroying thirty of the enemy supply carts, with Lieutenant Kiser personally accounting for fifteen of the targets destroyed. During the ensuing attack the flight came under an extremely heavy flak barrage of forty and twenty millimeter guns. At this time Lieutenant Kiser’s aircraft was hit and damaged by the enemy ground fire. Even though his aircraft had been damaged, he continued to seek out targets, and with darkness coming on, he located two enemy trucks, attacking and destroying one of the vehicles and inflicting heavy damage on the other. During the entire attack Lieutenant Kiser repeatedly exposed himself to the heavy enemy flak and after attacking all targets he had located, he then proceeded to attack the enemy gun positions. Darkness had set in by this time and he was only able to locate the targets by their flashes. The duel lasted until lack of fuel and ammunition forced Lieutenant Kiser to break off the attack, but not before he had inflicted damage on the gun positions and killed approximately ten enemy soldiers. Lieutenant Kiser led his flight back through the below marginal weather and made a night instrument let down at his home base with all aircraft landing safely. He demonstrated outstanding skill and leadership in accomplishing this highly successful mission flown under these adverse conditions. The results of this strike will highly effect the potential of the enemy. By his high personal courage, outstanding skill and devotion to duty, Lieutenant Kiser has brought great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.