Marvin L. Davis

The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to Marvin L. Davis (RA16310338), Corporal, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy of the United Nations while serving with a machine gun section of Company H, 2d Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment (Infantry), 1st Cavalry Division. Corporal Davis distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action against enemy aggressor forces in the vicinity of Waegwan, Korea, on 3 September 1950. On that date, Company F, Seventh Cavalry Regiment, with an attached machine-gun section from Company H, was defensively deployed on Hill 300 near Waegwan when elements of a hostile division launched a mass attack against the hill, preceded by an intense artillery and mortar barrage. When it became apparent that the hill could not be held against the numerically superior enemy force, the company was ordered to withdraw. Corporal Davis a machine-gunner attached to the company, and two comrades volunteered to remain behind and cover the withdrawal. He remained at his gun delivering accurate, withering fire into the ranks of the advancing enemy until his position was overrun, then began throwing hand grenades and engaging the enemy in hand-to-hand combat. When the company launched a counterattack later in the day and regained the hill, Corporal Davis was found dead beside his machine-gun, and the surrounding area was littered with enemy dead. The extraordinary heroism and selfless devotion to duty displayed by Corporal Davis enabled his company to execute a successful withdrawal with minimum casualties.
Headquarters, Eighth U.S. Army, Korea: General Orders No. 460 (June 25, 1951)