The President of the United States of America, under the provisions of the Act of Congress approved July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Colonel (Infantry) Paul Lamar Freeman, Jr. (ASN: 0-17704), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy of the United Nations while serving as Commanding Officer of the 23d Infantry Regiment, 2d Infantry Division. Colonel Freeman distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action against enemy aggressor forces in the vicinity of the Twin Tunnels area south of Chipyong-ni, Korea, during the period from 31 January 1951 through 15 February 1951. On 31 January 1951, Colonel Freeman was ordered to move his regimental combat team to the vicinity of the Twin Tunnels area south of Chipyong-ni and prevent the enemy from occupying the area. Colonel Freeman, with two battalions, entered the Twin Tunnels area without effecting contact with the enemy in the late afternoon of 31 January 1951. Realizing that the enemy forces were not yet emplaced, he deployed his troops in a tight defensive perimeter for the night. At 0450 hours on 1 February 1951, the enemy struck, pressing the attack with such fury that the regimental lines were penetrated in two places. The fighting was intense and the issue hung in the balance throughout the day; however, under the skillful leadership and personal example Colonel Freeman, the task force finally succeeded in routing the enemy at bayonet point, shattering two regiments of the 125th Chinese Communist Division. When the hostile force had been dispersed, 2,855 enemy dead were counted in front of the regimental positions. Reorganizing the combat team, Colonel Freeman led his command forward and occupied positions surrounding the town of Chipyong-ni, a critical point in the United Nations defense line. On the night of 13 February 1951, the enemy struck those positions with overwhelming fury, employing five divisions in the assault. For forty-eight hours the enemy pressed the attack, striking at all sides of the friendly perimeter and placing intense mortar end artillery fire on the positions. Skillfully directing the defense and personally exposing himself to the intense hostile fire to restore breaks in the line, Colonel Freeman so inspired his troops that they successfully routed the fanatically superior hostile force and counted over 5,000 enemy casualties surrounding their positions at the conclusion of the engagement. Although wounded in the final phase of the engagement, he reorganized the combat team and deployed it in defense of the secured area. The extraordinary heroism displayed by Colonel Freeman on this occasion reflects the greatest credit on himself and is in keeping with the high traditions of the military service.