William A. Harris

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to William A. Harris, Lieutenant Colonel (Field Artillery), U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy of the United Nations while serving as Commanding Officer of the 7th Cavalry Regiment (Task Force 777), 1st Cavalry Division. Lieutenant Colonel Harris distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action against enemy aggressor forces in the vicinity of Hambung-ni, Korea, n the night of 26 – 27 September 1950. Task Force 777, a regimental combat team, was proceeding on a combat mission when it was ambushed by a hostile force of ten tanks, supported by infantry. The tanks moved directly into the friendly column, firing rapidly, smashing vehicles and equipment and disorganizing the friendly troops. Colonel Harris, realizing the perilous situation of his unit, immediately went toward the head of the column, completely disregarding the intense enemy fire. He quickly evaluated the situation, then personally reorganized his men and led them in a counterattack. Inspired by the dauntless actions of their commander, the men overwhelmed the enemy force, knocked out the ten tanks, destroyed five artillery pieces, and captured twelve enemy trucks. The extraordinary heroism and fearless leadership of Colonel Harris were directly responsible for the annihilation of the enemy force.
Headquarters, Eighth U.S. Army, Korea: General Orders No. 512, (July 5, 1951)