Toshio Aoyagi

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Toshio Aoyagi (0-2263324), Second Lieutenant (Infantry), U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy of the United Nations while serving as Platoon Leader with an Infantry Company of the 7th Infantry Regiment, 3d Infantry Division. Second Lieutenant Aoyagi distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action against enemy aggressor forces in the vicinity of Chungae-ri, Korea, on 4 October 1951. On that date, Lieutenant Aoyagi was instructed to lead his men in an attack against a well-entrenched hostile force occupying a strategic slope. After advancing through light resistance to within thirty yards of the enemy main line of defense, the friendly troops were suddenly subjected to a heavy volume of small-arms and automatic weapons fire which pinned them down. In the initial phase of this attack, Lieutenant Aoyagi’s radio was shot from his hands, and having no communication with the remainder of the friendly force, he was forced to act independently. First, he attempted to direct his men in outmaneuvering the hostile positions but they were unable to coordinate their actions because of the intense hostile fire. Realizing that the attack would fail unless the key enemy emplacements were destroyed, Lieutenant Aoyagi gathered extra grenades and magazines for his carbine and moved forward alone after ordering his men to fire as rapidly as possible at the enemy. Although the friendly troops were unable to gain fire superiority over the hostile force, Lieutenant Aoyagi, without regard for his personal safety, charged forward in a bold, single-handed attack. The three enemy positions that were the key to the hostile defenses were grouped closely together and he advanced directly into the heavy fire being concentrated on him by all three of them. Reaching the first, he silenced it with a burst from his carbine. The second, he neutralized with well-aimed grenades. Between these two emplacements, there ran a trench which led to the third and, without hesitation, Lieutenant Aoyagi leaped into it and continued his assault. One of the hostile soldiers, in desperation, reached around a corner in the trench without exposing himself and fired a burst from his automatic weapon. The fire hit Lieutenant Aoyagi’s carbine and rendered it useless and also seriously wounded him in the abdomen. Undaunted, he destroyed the position with grenades. His intrepid actions forced a breach in the enemy line and the friendly troops rushed forward and secured their objective. Then, despite intense pain, he deployed his men in defensive positions in anticipation of an enemy counterattack. Only when he was sure that they were adequately prepared did he allow himself to be evacuated for medical treatment.
Headquarters, Eighth U.S. Army, Korea: General Orders No. 243 (May 9, 1952)