Joseph F. Ceh

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Joseph F. Ceh (0-988565), First Lieutenant (Infantry), U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy of the United Nations while serving with Infantry Company, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. First Lieutenant Ceh distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action against enemy aggressor forces in the vicinity of Kangsan’- ni, Korea, on 30 October 1952. On that date, Lieutenant Ceh was participating in an assault on a vital enemy-held hill. When the company commander and other officers of the company were wounded in the action, Lieutenant Ceh assumed command of the company and successfully led the men in routing the hostile troops from the position. Although he had been painfully wounded in the legs during the assault, Lieutenant Ceh immediately set about preparing for the enemy counterattack. Dragging himself from position to position, Lieutenant Ceh personally checked to assure that each man of the forward element was placed in position and supplied with ammunition to give maximum fire power and security. During this check of the positions, Lieutenant Ceh found that a machine-gun crew had been annihilated by the intense mortar fire. Noting that the weapon was not damaged, Lieutenant Ceh crawled to it and directed a withering hail of fire into the enemy ranks. Throughout the counterattack Lieutenant Ceh consistently refused evacuation and assisted the wounded and distributed ammunition, contributing greatly to the successful defense of the hill.
Headquarters, Eighth U.S. Army, Korea: General Orders No. 510 (May 25, 1953)