David N. White

The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to David N. White (0-2021082), 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 G, 2d Battalion, 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team, 11th Airborne Division. First Lieutenant White distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action against enemy aggressor forces in the vicinity of Wonju, Korea, on 15 February 1951. On that date, Lieutenant White was leading his platoon in an attack against a strongly fortified enemy occupying positions on the topographical crest and reverse slope of Hill 342. As the platoon approached the forward slope of the hill, the leading element was halted and the platoon pinned down by accurate, intense machine-gun and small arms fire. After spotting the nearest machine-gun, he crawled over open terrain, exposed to enemy observation and fire, to a point within twenty yards of the gun position and opened fire with his carbine, killing the crew and silencing the weapon. When a second machine-gun located approximately fifty years away opened fire on him, wounding him in the chest, he crawled to within fifteen yards of the gun emplacement and, despite his wounds, succeeded in destroying the gun with a phosphorous grenade. While in the act of destroying this second machine-gun, he was mortally wounded and died at this position.
Headquarters, Eighth U.S. Army, Korea: General Orders No. 318 (May 17, 1951)