Willard V. Swing, Jr.

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Willard V. Swing, Jr. (RA16301390), Private First Class, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy of the United Nations while serving with Company D, 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment (Infantry), 1st Cavalry Division. Private First Class Swing distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action against enemy aggressor forces near Madong, Korea, on 13 August 1950. On that date, the mortar platoon of which Private First Class Swing was a member came under devastating attacks by overwhelmingly numerically superior enemy forces and was forced to withdraw to new positions. In the hurried withdrawal to more tenable positions, the mortar ammunition, sorely needed by the mortar crews, was left behind in a trailer directly in the path of the advancing enemy forces. Realizing the helpless condition adjacent friendly forces would be in if their mortar support fire was withdrawn, Private Swing voluntarily and with complete disregard for his own safety, left his position of comparative safety and ran through the deadly hail of enemy machine-gun and small arms fire the trailer containing the ammunition. Upon his arrival, he noticed that increments of a number of mortar rounds in the trailer had been ignited by enemy fire and were in danger of exploding. Removing them, he pulled the trailer back to mortar positions and re-supplied the mortar crews. When he was wounded by a mortar shell landing a few feet away, Corporal Swing refused to be evacuated and, seizing his rifle, continued to fire at the advancing enemy until all his ammunition was expended, and then moved forward to drag several wounded comrades to cover. Despite the intense pain from his wounds, he remained in the enemy fire to care for the wounded and load rifle and carbine clips for his comrades until he was forcibly moved from the front lines. His selfless courage, aggressiveness and conspicuous devotion to duty in the face of grave danger was an inspiration to his entire company, saved many lives, and led to the successful repulse of the enemy attack.
Headquarters, Eighth U.S. Army, Korea: General Orders No. 42 (January 26, 1951)