Alfred J. Anderson

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Alfred J. Anderson (0-59289), First Lieutenant (Infantry), 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, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. First Lieutenant Anderson distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action against enemy aggressor forces near Koto-ri, in the vicinity of the Changjin (Chosin) Reservoir in North Korea on 29 and 30 November 1950. On 29 November 1950, at approximately 0630 hours, Lieutenant Anderson’s company, moving in motor convoy to join other units of the regiment near the Chosin Reservoir, was ambushed by a ruthless, hostile force, overwhelmingly superior in number. In the ensuing action, the column was divided in two, causing disorder among the troops, and Lieutenant Anderson immediately regrouped all available men and readied a defensive perimeter to meet the enemy onslaught. Armed only with a pistol, he constantly braved intense hostile fire as he moved calmly among the men, bolstering morale and securing each position. Lieutenant Anderson’s skillful deployment of his forces enabled the unit to repulse repeated attacks throughout the bitter cold night; and, on two occasions, he closed in hand-to-hand combat with fanatical enemy soldiers, who had infiltrated the outer line of resistance, and succeeded in killing them with his pistol while deflecting their weapons with his other hand. Upon orders to withdraw at 0600 on 30 November 1950, Lieutenant Anderson organized and successfully led a retrograde action through heavy enemy concentrations and reached friendly forces.