Jose M. Artiaga, Jr.

The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to Jose M. Artiaga, Jr., First Lieutenant, Army of the Philippines, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy of the United Nations while serving with the Tenth Battalion Combat Team, Philippine Expeditionary force to Korea, in action against enemy forces at Yuctong, Korea on 22 and 23 April 1951. Throughout the night his platoon was repeatedly assaulted by a fanatical and numerically superior hostile force of Chinese Communists. With utter disregard for his safety and constantly exposed to heavy machine-gun, mortar, and artillery fire, Lieutenant Artiaga moved about the sector held by his men to steady, encourage, and deploy them to insure the best defense of their positions. Despite exhaustion, isolation from other elements of the company, and the disaster which seemed imminent, his troops tenaciously repulsed repeated attacks and inflicted numerous casualties. While tirelessly directing the fire of his depleted force, he was mortally wounded, but his courage and indomitable fighting spirit so imbued his troops with a spirit of irrepressible determination that they held the positions until relief arrived.
Department of the Army: General Orders No. 28 (March 13, 1952)