The  President of  the  United States  takes  pleasure  in  presenting  the
SILVER STAR MEDAL to

for service as set forth in the following

         CITATION:

                   "For  conspicuous  gallantry  and intrepidity in action while serving  as  a   Corpsman   with  Marine  Medium   Helicopter  Squadron   364,   Marine  Aircraft Group  Sixteen,  First Marine Aircraft Wing  in connection with combat operations  against  the  enemy  in  the  Republic  of Vietnam.  During the early  morning  hours of  5  February  1971, Hospitalman Kickham launched aboard a CH-46 transport helicopter assigned to medically evacuate  a  Marine  who  had  been seriously wounded by fragments  from an  enemy  antipersonnel mine.   As  the aircraft was lifting off  after e mbarking the  casualty, it  came  under intense hostile  fire, some  rounds of which penetrated  the cabin and  ruptured  the  hy- draulic  fluid line, spilling a heavy flow  of  volatile liquid   over   Hospitalmam   Kickham and soaking his  clothing.  Disregarding  the obvious personal  danger, he continued treating his patient as the  pilot  prepared  to execute an emergency landing at an abandoned French fort nearby.  The severe loss of  hydraulic  fluid prevented  the  pilot  from maintaining  absolute  control of  the transport and it crash landed in a moat  surrounding  the fort and  rolled  over with the windows on  the right  side beneath  the  surface of  the water   in the  moat.  While  water rushed in through the back ramp, filling the cabin to knee  depth,  Hospitalman  Kickham  attempted  to  lift  the wounded   man  to  an  escape  hatch  and  the  waiting  hands  of  the crewmen who  had exited  he  crashed  aircraft.    At  this  point,  the helicopter burst into flames which detonated ammunition and ignited his  fluid-soaked   clothing,  causing   him  to  sustain   severe  burns.  Although  suffering intense pain, Hospitalman Kickham  resolutely attempted to carry  his  companion  away from  the fire and to  the forward cabin where  there was  ano- ther  escape  hatch  but,  in  doing  so, he  fell  through  one  of  the  submerged  windows and became almost hopelessly entangled in concertina  wire  lining  the  moat.    After  a heroic struggle,  he freed  himself and swam  to  the  other  side  of  the helicopter in  the hope of  reentering  the cabin and  rescuing  the  patient who  had slipped  from  his  arms   during  his  fall  into   the   water.  Becoming entangled in wire a second time, he again  struggled desperately to  free  himself  and,  upon  reaching the surface of the water, realized that the wire  surrounded  the transport, which made any further rescue attempt impossible and forced him to  abandon his selfless  mission.  By his  indomitable courage, fearless  determi- nation,  and  unwavering  devotion  to duty in the face of grave personal danger, Hospitalman Kickham  inspired  all  who observed  him and  upheld the highest  traditions  of  th e Marine Corps  and the United States Naval Service."