The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Sergeant Kirby W. Jordan (MCSN: 871563), United States Marine Corps Reserve, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity while serving as Operator of an Armored Dozer of the Fifth Engineer Battalion, FIFTH Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, 23 March 1945. Assigned the hazardous mission of constructing a tank road in advance of the front lines through a deep ravine whose nearly vertical walls contained many hostile caves and strong points and whose narrow passageway was suspected of being mined, Sergeant Jordan unhesitatingly proceeded to carry out his dangerous task. While skillfully maneuvering his dozer through the defile, he encountered heavy enemy small-arms fire and was twice attacked by hostile troops using satchel charges of explosives. Despite these attacks and the success of the Japanese in disabling a tank which was covering his movement, Sergeant Jordan successfully completed his mission and enabled following tanks to clean out an extremely difficult pocket of hostile resistance. His skill, courage and exemplary devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.