The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to Staff Sergeant Robert Earl Van Bogart (ASN: 37173936), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving with Company A, 1st Battalion, 127th Infantry Regiment, 32d Infantry Division, in action against enemy forces near Santa Maria Pangasinan Province, Luzon, Philippine Islands, on 5 March 1945. When Staff Sergeant Van Bogart’s platoon, leading a combat patrol, ran into heavy enemy fire from snipers and a well concealed machine gun, a number of his men were wounded. His platoon pinned down, Sergeant Van Bogart crawled forward alone in the face of this fire to reach the top of a near by ridge. There he deliberately exposed himself to draw the enemy’s fire and as bullets struck close by him he located and killed two snipers. Crawling back, he ordered his men to assault the machine gun, which he had also spotted. He took the lead and again made his way to the ridge where he stood in full view of the enemy and delivered steady rifle fire against their position. His men, inspired by his fearless example, launched an attack which quickly disposed of the emplacement. Moving out to locate remaining snipers, Sergeant Van Bogart was hit and killed. His unhesitating willingness to expose himself to danger and his skilled battlefield leadership saved the lives of many of his comrades and made possible the further progress of the patrol.