The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 2, 1926, takes pleasure in presenting the Soldier’s Medal to Lieutenant Colonel (Field Artillery) Ralph Edward Jordan (ASN: 0-21911), United States Army, for heroism at the risk of life not involving conflict with an armed enemy as a member of the Department of Tactics, United States Military Academy, on 24 June 1951 at Humrock Beach, Humrock, Massachusetts. His attention was suddenly attracted to two young ladies who were swimming approximately 100 yards off shore, were apparently being carried out to sea by a vicious undertow, and were frantically screaming for help. He immediately ran down the beach and, without hesitation and disregarding the extreme danger from the heavy surf and strong undertow, plunged in and swam to their rescue. He reached the girls and was in the process of bringing the one in greatest need of help toward shore when he was met by the father of the girls in a row boat. The three had secured a grip on the row boat when it became swamped in the rough seas and had started to submerge. The girls’ father, screaming that he could not swim, became panic stricken and jumped overboard. Colonel Jordan successfully turned the boat over, got the man safely on top of the boat, started again toward shore with one of the girls, and succeeded in getting her to another boat which had appeared on the scene to assist the stricken group. Upon being towed to shore by means of a rope which had been brought out, Colonel Jordan immediately left the stricken girl in the hands of friends and again braved the surf to assist in completing the rescue of the other two persons, As a result of his gallant endeavors he collapsed on the beach and had to be revived through the use of oxygen, but his alert and heroic action, which was doubtless instrumental in saving the lives of all three from death by drowning, reflects great credit on himself and the United States Army.