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 First Class Willard Homer Hopkins (ASN: RA-38518804), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy of the United Nations while serving with Headquarters Company, 3d Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment (Task Force 777), 1st Cavalry Division. Sergeant First Class Hopkins distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action against enemy aggressor forces at Hambung-ni, Korea, on the night of 26 – 27 September 1950. Shortly after midnight, while the task force was moving northward to link with other United Nations elements, the leading column was suddenly ambushed ninety-eight miles behind enemy lines by a hostile force of ten T-34 tanks supported by infantry. As the enemy tanks opened fire on the column, despite the reigning confusion and trepidation following the surprise, Sergeant First Class Hopkins coolly went into immediate action. Seeing that one tank had penetrated to a vantage point that would bring the entire column under it fire, he, under a continuous rain of machine-gun bullets and flying shrapnel, gathered grenades from his comrades and boldly advanced on the tank. Upon reaching it and finding the hatch open, he quickly mounted the turret and threw eight grenades inside, silencing the crew. Without pausing, Sergeant Hopkins quickly organized a bazooka crew and moved toward the thick of the fighting. When the bazooka rounds were expended, he voluntarily traversed the fire-swept road for additional ammunition. While moving to the rear, he came under the direct assault of a hostile tank that was firing alternately into troops and vehicles as it blasted its way through the friendly position. Once again, armed only with grenades and a rifle, he fearlessly mounted the rear of the moving enemy tank. As he attempted to reach the tank’s turret, a shouted warning from a comrade caused him to leap to a ditch seeking cover as friendly artillery opened direct fire on the tank. The hostile tank returned fire, and in the burst of those shells Sergeant Hopkins was killed. The extraordinary heroism displayed by Sergeant First Class Hopkins on this occasion reflects the greatest credit on himself and is in keeping with the high traditions of the military service.