Raymond S. Porter

The President of the United States of America, under the provisions of the Act of Congress approved July 9, 1918, takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to Corporal Raymond S. Porter (ASN: US-55057011), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy of the United Nations while serving as a machine gunner with Company F, 2d Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, 2d Infantry Division. Corporal Porter distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action against enemy aggressor forces in the vicinity of Imokchong, Korea, on 10 October 1951. On that date, Corporal Porter's company was attempting to dislodge a large hostile force from a strategic hill. The enemy troops were occupying elaborately prepared defensive positions and their well-protected automatic weapons poured a steady stream of fire down on the friendly troops, forcing them to seek cover at the base of the slope. In addition to enemy small-arms and automatic weapons fire, the entire area occupied by the friendly force was undergoing an almost continuous mortar and artillery bombardment. Realizing that his comrades face annihilation if they remained in their present positions, Corporal Porter, rushed across the fire-swept terrain and placed his machine-gun in an exposed position, forcing the enemy to concentrate their fire on him. When a ruptured cartridge rendered his weapon inoperative, he moved back down the slope, obtained an automatic rifle, and returned to his position. Pouring deadly accurate fire into numerous enemy emplacements an killing many of the hostile troops, Corporal Porter refused to abandon his open position despite the fact that a tremendous amount of hostile fire was brought to bear on him. For over an hour, he methodically neutralized enemy positions to provide a path for his comrades up the hill until he was hit and mortally wounded by the intense hostile mortar fire. General Orders: Headquarters, Eighth U.S. Army, Korea: General Orders No. 204 (April 19, 1952) Born in 1928.