The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Captain (Infantry), [then First Lieutenant] Harold A. Hicks (ASN: 0-1312927), United States Army, for gallantry in action while serving with Company E, 2d Battalion, 145th Infantry Regiment, 37th Infantry Division, in action against an armed enemy at Luzon, Philippine Islands. During the action at Dau on 26 January 1945, two men from the company of which Lieutenant Hicks was Executive Officer, were wounded by intense enemy fire. He immediately moved forward to the rescue over 200 yards of exposed terrain. Litter bearers also started forward but as they neared the position, the bearer of the first litter fell to the ground seriously wounded. Lieutenant Hicks immediately stood up in the face of the heavy Japanese fire, ran to the litter and carried it to one of the wounded soldiers. He assisted in evacuating that casualty and then returned over the same hazardous route to help evacuate another injured man. Lieutenant Hicks’ heroic action were in the highest tradition of the armed forces.