Chester R. Helsel

The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to Chester R. Helsel (RA13308394), 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 a Demolition Technician with an Infantry Company of the 32d Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. Private First Class Helsel distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action against enemy aggressor forces in the vicinity of Chohanggol, Korea, on the morning of 29 January 1952. On that date, Private Helsel moved into enemy-held territory with a patrol assigned the mission of locating and destroying hostile emplacements. As the members of the patrol climbed the icy slope of the ridge which was their objective, the fog which had concealed their movements suddenly lifted, revealing their presence to the enemy. A murderous volume of small-arms and automatic weapons fire was immediately directed on the friendly troops from the commanding heights, pining them down and causing several casualties. Although he could have remained in his relatively protected position, Private Helsel borrowed a weapon and ammunition from one of the wounded and, with an aggressiveness that served as an inspiration to his comrades, charged alone toward the enemy entrenchments. Throwing grenades and firing his weapon with deadly accuracy, he inflicted severe casualties upon the foe. With the fire of the entire hostile force concentrated on him, he continued his one-man charge up the hill until he had reached the enemy emplacements. As he was about to leap inside to engage the foe in hand-to-hand combat, he was hit and killed by a burst of hostile fire.
Headquarters, Eighth U.S. Army, Korea: General Orders No. 559 (September 19, 1952)