Navy Federal Credit Union

Awards Received

  • Distinguished Service Cross

    Service:

    Foreign

    Rank:

    Lieutenant

    Batallion:

    2d Battalion

    Regiment:

    10th Gurkha Rifles

    Division:

    British Indian Army

    Action Date:

    September 12, 1944

    Headquarters, U.S. Army-Mediterranean Theater of Operations, General Orders No. 95 (June 22, 1945)

    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 Lieutenant Willes D. Wilson, British Indian Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving with 2d Battalion, 10th Gurkha Rifles, in action against the enemy near Passano, Italy on 12 September 1944. When his company was halted by heavy machine gun fire during an attack upon a strongly prepared enemy position in the rear of the German Gothic Line, Lieutenant Wilson, as second in command, demonstrated great heroism, coolness and courage in leading his forward platoon directly into a hand-to-hand assault on the enemy machine gun positions, personally killing two of the enemy and assisted in driving back and killing six more. Proceeding further, he came under more heavy fire from a machine gun post and a tank which were located on a hill. Without hesitation he led his men forward, killed four of the enemy and captured the tank and machine gun position. His outstanding leadership and courage reflect great credit upon himself and the Allied Armies in Italy.