James P. Wilson

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to James P. Wilson, Second 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 B, 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. Second Lieutenant Wilson distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action against enemy aggressor forces near Chin-Dong- ni, Korea, on 20 September 1950. On that date, Company B was assigned the mission of taking a hill on which the enemy had well-prepared positions. Although wounded in the face by enemy shell fragments, Lieutenant Wilson refused medical aid and personally led his platoon on three assaults of the enemy’s position. With utter disregard for his personal safety, Lieutenant Wilson charged up the slopes under an intense volume of enemy machine-gun, grenade, and rifle fire; he closed with the enemy and, in hand-to-hand combat, killed three of them. His undaunted courage and determination so inspired his men that they completely overran the enemy position.
Headquarters, Eighth U.S. Army, Korea: General Orders No. 68 (February 12, 1951)