FIRST LIEUTENANT JOSE VERA, JR., 01684927, Infantry, Company "M", 65th
Infantry, 3d Infantry Division, United States Army. On 6 December 1950, at
Majon-dong, Korea, while Lieutenant VERA was in command of a machine gun and
recoilless rifle section covering the withdrawal of the 1st Marine Division
from the Chosin Reservoir area, numerically superior enemy forces infiltrated
to within a few yards of his machine gun positions during the hours of darkness
and attacked at dawn. Heedless of the intense fire, noise and confusion, Lieu-
tentant VERA abandoned the shelter of his command post to direct and personally
coordinate the defense of his positions, moving quickly and continuously among
his men, encouraging and directing their actions. When one of his machine guns
ceased to fire, Lieutenant VERA, realizing that he had to prevent the gun from
being captured, moved fearlessly through heavy enemy fire to the machine gun
emplacement, where he found that the gunner had been wounded and the machine
gun had jammed. Despite the fact that the enemy was only about 15 yards from
the emplacement, he remained in the exposed position until he had the machine
gun in action. From this position he forced the enemy troops to withdraw in
haste, abandoning their equipment. By repulsing their attack, he prevented an
encirclement of the rifle platoon. During the attack, when one of his men was
mortally wounded, Lieutenant VERA'S left the machine gun emplacement and brought
the wounded man back to safety, where he administered first aid treatment.
Lieutenant VERA'S gallantry and aggressive leadership were an inspiring example
to his men, and reflect great credit upon himself and the military service.
Entered the military service from Puerto Rico.

Source: Record Group 338: General Orders 3^rd Infantry Division, Boxes 129 to 131 -

National Archives and Records Administration, College Park, Maryland.

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