GENERAL ORDERS - NUMBER 362 - 16 December 1952

 

    AWARD OF THE BRONZE STAR MEDAL - By direction of the President, under the provisions of Executive Order 9419, 4 February 1944 (Sec II, WD Bul 3, 1944), and pursuant to authority in AR 600-45, the Bronze Star Medal with Letter "V" device for heroic achievement in connection with military operations against an enemy of the United States is awarded to the following named enlisted men: 

   Corporal (then Private First Class) JOSE OTERO GONZALEZ, US50109809, Infantry, Company "C", 65th Infantry Regiment, 3d Infantry Division, United States Army. In the early morning hours of 19 July 1952, Company "C", of which Corporal JOSE OTERO GONZALEZ  was a member, was assigned the mission of assaulting an enemy occupied hill in the vicinity of Yu-hyon, Korea. As the forward elements neared their objective, they encountered intense enemy small arms and grenade fire. Corporal OTERO GONZALEZ, disregarding the heavy fire, advanced upon the foe, firing his rifle and throwing grenades. Upon finding his platoon leader, and a squad leader, lying wounded in exposed positions near the hostile trenches, he disregarded his own personal safety and pulled the wounded men through the fierce enemy fire to a position of comparative safety. When the order was given to withdraw, he repeatedly exposed himself to the lethal hostile fire as he collected grenades from wounded comrades and hurled them at the foe, covering his unit as it withdrew. As he was rejoining his unit at the base of the hill, he personally evacuated a wounded man by fearlessly carrying him through the devastating hostile fire. Corporal OTERO GONZALEZ' outstanding courage and selfless actions reflect great credit upon himself and the military service. Entered the Federal 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.