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 Master Sergeant Clarence Ames Peterson (ASN: RA-11067711), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy of the United Nations while serving with Company I, 3d Battalion, 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team, 11th Airborne Division. Master Sergeant Peterson distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action against enemy aggressor forces in the vicinity of Parun-ni, Korea, on 26 March 1951. On that date, Master Sergeant Peterson’s company was given the mission of securing Hill 228, a commanding terrain feature near Parun-ni, occupied by well-entrenched enemy troops estimated at battalion strength. The 2d platoon was selected as the lead element of the assault, and as it advanced across the fire-swept area toward the hill, the platoon leader and four key noncommissioned officers were wounded. Sergeant Peterson, a member of the platoon, immediately moved to the front of the platoon and assumed command, continuing the assault. At one point during the assault an enemy machine-gun manned by five soldiers opened fire on the platoon and pinned it down. With complete disregard for his personal safety, Sergeant Peterson crawled to a position within twenty yards of the machine-gun and from that point, armed only with carbine and trench knife, assaulted the gun emplacement, killing the five enemy troops. The elimination of this weapon enabled his platoon and the platoon on the right flank to continue their assault with minimum casualties. Shortly after knocking out the enemy machine-gun, Sergeant Peterson was killed by a burst of enemy fire; however, his aggressive leadership and courageous devotion to duty so inspired the remaining members of his platoon that they engaged the hostile force in hand-to-hand combat, killing eighty enemy troops, capturing ten, and forcing the remainder to flee in wild disorder. The extraordinary heroism displayed by Master Sergeant Peterson on this occasion reflects the greatest credit on himself and is in keeping with the high traditions of the military service.