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 First Lieutenant (Infantry) Robert Leslie Norton (ASN: 0-2034570), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy of the United Nations while serving as a Platoon Leader in Company A, 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. First Lieutenant Norton distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action against enemy aggressor forces near Nungnae-dong, Korea, on 4 April 1951. On that date, Lieutenant Norton’s platoon was given the mission of attacking and securing a steep, barren hill approximately 800 yards in front of the positions of Company A. After crossing open rice paddies to a position at the base of the hill from which the attack could be launched, Lieutenant Norton was leading his men up the slope of the hill when they came under a heavy volume of enemy small-arms and automatic weapons fire. Halting his platoon and exposing himself to the intense fire to check the feasibility of continuing the attack from that point, he noted that such action would result in heavy casualties. Remaining in the exposed position, Lieutenant Norton directed his platoon to withdraw and attack the enemy’s right flank from a more sheltered approach while he stayed behind to draw enemy fire and over the movement. He continued to place effective fire on the enemy, covering the maneuver of his platoon, until he was hit by a burst of enemy machine-gun fire and instantly killed. The inspirational leadership and selfless devotion to duty displayed by Lieutenant Norton enabled his platoon to secure the objective, reflecting the highest credit on himself and was in keeping with the high traditions of the military service.