Eduardo C. Gomez
General Orders No. 102 (November 27, 1951)
The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Eduardo C. Gomez (RA18157039), Sergeant, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy of the United Nations while serving with Company I, 3d Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment (Infantry), 1st Cavalry Division. Sergeant Gomez distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action against enemy aggressor forces at Tabu-dong, Korea, on 3 September 1950. While readying defensive positions, Sergeant Gomez’ company was ruthlessly attacked at approximately 0100 hours by a hostile force comprising an infantry regiment and spearheaded by two T-34 tanks, the foremost of which moved to within seventy-five yards of the command post before it was immobilized by rocket fire, but its main battery and machine-guns continued to rake the company perimeter with devastating fire. Realizing the tank posed a serious threat to the entire perimeter, Sergeant Gomez voluntarily, and fully aware of the odds against him, crawled thirty yards across an open rice field vulnerable to enemy observation and fire, boarded the tank, and, prying open one of the hatches on the turret, dropped an activated grenade into the hull, killing the crew. Wounded in the left side while returning to his position, he refused to be evacuated. Observing that the tripod of a .30 caliber machine-gun was rendered inoperable by enemy fire, he cradled the weapon in his arms, returned to the forward defensive positions, and swept the assaulting force with withering fire. Although his weapon overheated and burned his hands and his painful wound still bled, he maintained his stand and, upon orders to withdraw in the face of overwhelming enemy superiority, remained to provide protective fire. Then, retiring slowly, he continued to pour accurate fire into the ranks of the enemy, which exacted a heavy toll in casualties and retarded the enemy’s advance. Sergeant Gomez would not consent to leave his post for medical attention until the company established a new defensive positions.
War Department General Orders No. 102 (November 27, 1951)
