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 (Field Artillery) Harold G. Parris (ASN: 0-1183940), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy of the United Nations while serving with Battery C, 8th Field Artillery Battalion, 25th Infantry Division. First Lieutenant Parris distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action against enemy aggressor forces near Sibyon-ni, Korea, on 6 November 1950. While attached as a forward observer to an infantry regiment and on patrol along the road to Inchon, Lieutenant Parris and fifteen others were ambushed and captured by an overwhelming force of the enemy. Realizing that the enemy were known to sometimes torture and murder their prisoners after having extracted any information of military value from them, Lieutenant Parris warned his men to keep quiet and to tell only their name, rank and serial number when questioned. The sixteen prisoners were marched to the enemy command post and placed in a small room where they were questioned. Lieutenant Parris again exhorted the men not to answer the questions, but to remain quiet. Due to the calm courage of Lieutenant Parris, the men refused to answer except with expletives. The interrogators, realizing that Lieutenant Parris was the leader of the group, took him to another room to question him. While he was gone, the prisoners were again questioned but because of the inspiring leadership and exhortation of Lieutenant Parris, no information was given. When Parris was returned to the room, his face showed the effects of severe treatment – all to no avail. After marching them about three hundred yards, their captors machine-gunned and killed Lieutenant Parris and all but one of his comrades. The outstanding and fearless leadership of Lieutenant Parris in the face of almost certain death was a magnificent example and denied the enemy valuable intelligence information. The extraordinary heroism displayed by Lieutenant Parris on this occasion reflects the greatest credit on himself and is in keeping with the high traditions of the military service.