Ronald D. Dusek

The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to Ronald D. Dusek (RA16281678), Private First Class, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy of the United Nations while serving with Company B, 1st Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. Private First Class Dusek distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action against enemy aggressor forces on the Kum River north of Taejon, Korea, on 16 July 1950. Private First Class was serving as a medical aid man when the company was in a defensive position on the Kum River line. The enemy attacked and succeeded in penetrating the right flank of the company’s position, occupying some vacant foxholes and setting up four automatic-weapons with additional riflemen, which swept the company’s position with deadly, accurate fire. Seeing that the company was being decimated, Private First Class Dusek manned a light machine-gun which was not being operated and delivered effective fire, keeping the enemy from advancing. Running out of ammunition, he took his pistol and several grenades and advanced on the enemy, driving them from the foxholes. He kept advancing, firing his pistol and throwing grenades, until he was killed by a burst of machine-gun fire.
Headquarters, Eighth U.S. Army, Korea: General Orders No. 50 (September 3, 1950)