The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Corporal Felix J. Perko (MCSN: 349417), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity while serving with Company A, Second Amphibian Tractor Battalion, SECOND Marine Division during action against enemy Japanese forces at Tarawa, Gilbert Islands on 20 November 1943. With his amphibian tractor immobilized during initial landing operations on D-Day, Corporal Perko, although twice wounded, further risked his life to remove a seriously wounded officer from the stricken vehicle despite the enemy’s incessant machine gun and rifle fire. Struggling desperately to remain afloat he supported the helpless man for two hours before reaching the edge of a reef where both men were taken on board a small boat. By his daring initiative, outstanding fortitude and grave concern for the safety of another in the face of extreme danger, Corporal Perko saved the life of a man who otherwise might have perished and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.