Oliver B. Wald

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Oliver B. Wald, Corporal, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy of the United Nations while serving with Company I, 3d Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2d Infantry Division. Corporal Wald distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action against enemy aggressor forces in the vicinity of Sogong-ni, Korea, on 25 May 1951. On that date, Corporal Wald’s company was given the mission of attacking and securing Hill 800 at Sogong-ni. Approaching to within two hundred yards of the objective, the company was subjected to murderous fire from the enemy positions and the attack was temporarily halted. Two squads were ordered forward in an assault while the remainder of the company furnished covering fire for the operation. Upon reaching the top of the hill, Sergeant Wald, leader of one of the assault squads, and his squad were subjected to as fanatical enemy counterattack and were forced to withdraw due to the numerical superiority of the enemy. Heedless of the intense fire, Sergeant Wald remained in an exposed position, throwing grenades at the attacking force and placing effective rifle fire on them until his squad reached cover. After regrouping, the entire company assaulted the hill. Again Sergeant Wald led the attack, moving forward in the face of withering fire. His aggressive leadership so inspired the men around him that they followed him to the top of the hill, engaged the enemy in hand-to-hand combat, and forced them to flee in wild disorder, leaving numerous dead and wounded on the hill.
Headquarters, Eighth U.S. Army, Korea: General Orders No. 485 (July 1, 1951)