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 James McCrory Wightman (ASN: RA-14008591), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy of the United Nations while serving as a Platoon Sergeant with Company E, 2d Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. Master Sergeant Wightman distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action against enemy aggressor forces in the vicinity of Twi-got, Korea, on 9 March 1951. Sergeant Wightman led his men in an attack against numerically superior enemy forces who were well-entrenched on Hill 1232 near Twi-got. Nearing the objective, the platoon came under intense enemy automatic-weapons and small-arms fire and was pinned down. Moving among his men, Sergeant Wightman encouraged them to increase their rate of fire and then led them in an assault on the hill. Locating a machine-gun position that was placing withering fire on his platoon, Sergeant Wightman single-handedly assaulted the gun emplacement, thereby drawing enemy fire on himself so that his platoon could advance. In assaulting the machine-gun position, he was hit by a burst of fire and killed; however, his heroic act enabled the platoon to close with the enemy and seize the objective. The extraordinary heroism displayed by Master Sergeant Wightman on this occasion reflects the greatest credit on himself and is in keeping with the high traditions of the military service.