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 Corporal Pablo Bayangos (SN: 6610821), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving with Company L, 3d Battalion, 57th Infantry Regiment (Philippine Scouts), Philippine Division, in action against enemy forces on 11 February 1942. Corporal Bayangos and his regiment were sent to cut off a detachment of Japanese who had landed on a point in western Bataan, in the Philippine Islands. The 57th Infantry Regiment threw a line across the point and pushed forward into the woods through the underbrush. He was advancing ahead of the main forces and crouched in a foxhole behind a large tree covering a pathway through the jungle. Late in the afternoon he heard the bushes rustling and saw a large group of Japanese crawling through the brush a short distance away. Corporal Bayangos with his automatic rifle, waited until the leading Japanese was only 15 feet away, then opened fire. He emptied his magazine, killing 13 Japanese with 20 shots. Unnoticed by him however, a Japanese officer crawled from the other side of the tree as Corporal Bayangos was reloading his rifle. The Japanese officer fired a pistol bullet into the corporal’s head. Fellow Filipinos hear the firing and ran down the path and killed the enemy officer. They found the shot which had killed the corporal was the last shot in the Japanese officer’s pistol. Corporal Bayangos’ extraordinary heroism, personal bravery and zealous devotion to duty at the cost of his life, exemplify the highest traditions of the military forces of the United States and reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Army.