Charles L. Warner

The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to Charles L. Warner (0-64284), Second Lieutenant (Field Artillery), U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy of the United Nations while serving with serving as a Forward Observer of the 158th Field Artillery Battalion, 45th Infantry Division. Second Lieutenant Warner distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action against enemy aggressor forces in the vicinity of Tumyong-dong, Korea, late on the night of 15 June 1952. On that date, Lieutenant Warner was with an infantry company occupying a strategically located hill. Suddenly the company was subjected to an intense artillery barrage followed by a fanatical attack, by a numerically superior hostile force. Despite the fact that he had been wounded early in the action, Lieutenant Warner remained at his post, adjusting artillery fire which inflicted heavy casualties on the enemy. With wave after wave of screaming enemy troops assaulting the friendly position, Lieutenant Warner’s radio was destroyed by enemy fire, but he continued to call in fire directions by using the company’s radio and relaying his adjustments through the infantry battalion. Wounded again, he still refused evacuation, but remained throughout the night in a shallow trench, relaying every request for supporting fire. Early the following morning it was discovered that he had received fourteen wounds, and he was ordered to a rear area for medical treatment. As he was being placed on a stretcher for evacuation, a direct hit by an enemy mortar killed him instantly.
Headquarters, Eighth U.S. Army, Korea: General Orders No. 597 (October 4, 1952)