Fred Crispino

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Fred Crispino (RA11148238), Master Sergeant, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy of the United Nations while serving with 8th Ranger Battalion (the Wolfhound Raiders), 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. Master Sergeant Crispino distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action against enemy aggressor forces in the vicinity of Kumhwa, Korea, on 28 September 1951. Early on the morning of 28 September 1951, Sergeant Crispino was returning to United Nations lines as point man of a sixteen-man patrol. Discovering an enemy ambush approximately twenty yards to the front, Sergeant Crispino alerted his men to their danger. Before the patrol was able to take cover the enemy attacked them with heavy small-arms fire and hand grenades. Sergeant Crispino received two serious wounds in the initial stages of the action. Despite of pain from his wounds, he charged the enemy position, firing his submachine-gun. During his courageous assault, he was again seriously wounded by a grenade. Sergeant Crispino once again charged the hostile position, hurling grenades and firing his machine-gun. By concentrating the attention of the enemy upon himself, Sergeant Crispino enabled the remainder of the patrol to take up a position on the enemy’s flank. When his comrades reached the enemy position, they found Sergeant Crispino lying where he had collapsed from loss of blood with seven enemy dead around him.
Headquarters, Eighth U.S. Army, Korea: General Orders No. 805 (August 31, 1953)