Paul A. Wall

The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to Paul A. Wall (ER55004319), Sergeant First Class, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy of the United Nations while serving as a Platoon Sergeant with a platoon of Company B, 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2d Infantry Division. Sergeant First Class Wall distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action against enemy aggressor forces in the vicinity of Chapyang-ni, Korea, on 2 January 1951. On that date, Company C, while holding Hill 451, was attacked by overwhelming numbers of the enemy and forced to withdraw. Sergeant Wall’s unit was assigned the mission of assaulting the objective and recapturing the lost positions. As platoon sergeant of the lead platoon, Sergeant Wall led his men forward and immediately deployed them in advantageous positions along a ridge overlooking the enemy. Suddenly, a concealed machine gun opened fire and threatened to annihilate the friendly troops. With total disregard for his personal safety, Sergeant Wall, rushed the enemy emplacement, silencing it with grenades and rifle fire, and continued his single- handed assault until he fell, mortally wounded.
Headquarters, Eighth U.S. Army, Korea: General Orders No. 614 (August 4, 1951)