The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Private First Class Raymond Leroy Higginbotham (ASN: 38479625), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving with an Infantry Company of the 306th Infantry Regiment, 77th Infantry Division, in action against enemy forces on 4 May 1945, at Okinawa. From an advance observation post, seeing a company of Japanese moving toward the battalion headquarters, Private Higginbotham and his comrades opened fire. The enemy, determined to destroy the position quickly, covered the post in a hail of mortar and machine-gun fire, then, with fixed bayonets, they charged. Private Higginbotham leaped from his fox hole and, hurling grenades and firing from the hip at point-blank range, shot down eight of the foe and stopped the attack. As the enemy resumed the assault, he still stood fast and, with grenades exhausted and his magazines destroyed by bullets, yielded his place only as friendly forces rushed up. Private Higginbotham’s heroic stand, in the face of great odds, delayed the hostile advance and enabled his unit to organize a coordinated attack to accomplish the destruction of enemy forces. His extraordinary heroism, personal bravery and zealous devotion to duty exemplify the highest traditions of the military forces of the United States and reflect great credit upon himself, the 77th Infantry Division, and the United States Army.