Robert E. Graf

The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to Robert E. Graf (RA27714904), Private First Class, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy of the United Nations while serving as an automatic rifleman with an Infantry Company of the 7th Infantry Regiment, 3d Infantry Division. Private First Class Graf distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action against enemy aggressor forces in the vicinity of Changpyongdong, Korea, on 4 February 1951. On that date, his company was engaged in a limited withdrawal because of the unrelenting pressure of a numerically superior hostile force. As the friendly troops fell back, constantly harassed by enemy small-arms and automatic-weapons fire, Private Graf, with a total disregard for his personal safety, moved across the fire-swept terrain to an exposed position in order to provide covering fire with his automatic rifle. He was instantly hit by enemy machine-gun fire. Although seriously wounded, he crawled toward a nearby enemy-manned emplacement and destroyed it with an accurately hurled grenade. His actions drew the fire of a second enemy emplacement and, upon ascertaining its location, he rose painfully to his feet and fired a burst into the machine-gun position, killing three of the four enemy soldiers and successfully neutralizing the weapon. His courageous action was responsible for silencing the enemy weapons which posed the major threat to his comrades thus enabling the friendly force to withdraw with a minimum of casualties.
Headquarters, Eighth U.S. Army, Korea: General Orders No. 1001 (December 18, 1951)