John M. Sakowski

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to John M. Sakowski (0-61483), First Lieutenant (Field Artillery), U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy of the United Nations while serving with Battery C, 37th Field Artillery Battalion, 2d Infantry Division as an Artillery Forward Observer attached to an Infantry Company. First Lieutenant Sakowski distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action against enemy aggressor forces in the vicinity of Pia-ri, Korea, on 22 September 1951. On that date, the friendly force to which Lieutenant Sakowski was attached was assigned the mission of attacking and securing a heavily fortified hill from a numerically superior enemy force. As the friendly troops advanced along the precipitous slope, they were subjected to a devastating volume of fire from well protected enemy bunkers. Realizing that the assaulting troops were constantly exposed to the intense enemy fire, Lieutenant Sakowski immediately moved forward in an open position on the fire-swept terrain in order to direct the fire of friendly artillery batteries against the enemy emplacements. He was painfully wounded almost immediately by the enemy fire. Although he was unable to move because of the nature of his wounds, Lieutenant Sakowski steadfastly refused to be evacuated because he knew he could not be replaced and that effective artillery fire was critically needed. He remained in his position for eighteen hours, directing artillery fire with deadly precision and enabling the friendly forces to hold their positions.
Headquarters, Eighth U.S. Army, Korea: General Orders No. 30 (January 16, 1952)