Navy Federal Credit Union

Awards Received

  • Distinguished Service Cross

    Service:

    United States Army

    Rank:

    Sergeant

    Batallion:

    3d Battalion

    Regiment:

    8th Cavalry Regiment (Infantry)

    Division:

    1st Cavalry Division

    Action Date:

    December 2, 1950

    Headquarters, EIGHTH U.S. Army, Korea, General Orders No. 620 (August 6, 1951)

    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 Sergeant Alton Maurice Ashworth (ASN: ER-38589076), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy of the United Nations while serving with Company L, 3d Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment (Infantry), 1st Cavalry Division. Sergeant Ashworth distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action against enemy aggressor forces in the vicinity of Unsan-ni, North Korea, on 2 December 1950. Sergeant Ashworth’s company was assigned the mission of securing the high ground along the edge of a route over which the regiment was planning a withdrawal to escape an enemy trap. As the men moved into the assault, they encountered intense machine-gun fire from an enemy emplacement on their left flank. As Sergeant Ashworth deployed his men into position to silence the weapon, they were pinned down by the fire of a second machine-gun. Realizing that his initial mission could not be completed until this new threat was neutralized, he immediately moved forward to within ten feet of the emplacement and silenced the weapon with grenades. Suddenly an enemy soldier charged down upon him with a grenade in his hand. Sergeant Ashworth successfully cut him down with a burst from his carbine, but was mortally wounded by fragments from the exploding grenade. Although he was dying on his feet, he refused evacuation but instead organized his men and led them forward in a charge which secured the main objective. The extraordinary heroism displayed by Sergeant Ashworth on this occasion reflects the greatest credit on himself and is in keeping with the high traditions of the military service.