Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Lieutenant Colonel

Unit:

2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division "The Big Red One", US Army

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Herbert C. Hicks (0-360592), Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy as Commanding Officer, 2d Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, in action against enemy forces on 6 June 1944, in France. Lieutenant Colonel Hicks, commanding one of the initial assault battalions, landed a the initial stage of the battle in the face of heavy enemy rifle, machine gun and artillery fire. Finding parts of the battalion leaderless and pinned down by the heavy and intense enemy fire, Lieutenant Colonel Hicks, with complete disregard for his own safety, moved p to the foremost elements of his unit and reorganized them for an assault on the enemy strongholds. Courageously, he led a small combat group through a breach in the wire over a thickly strewn mine field and gained the cliff sides directly under the enemy guns. Lieutenant Colonel Hicks personally assaulted and destroyed an enemy pillbox and two machine gun nests with hand grenades. Having placed the men along the cliff, Lieutenant Colonel Hicks then returned to the beach to the cliff heights. From this point, he led a successful assault which gained the battalion's objective. The superior leadership and personal bravery of Lieutenant Colonel Hicks reflects great credit on himself and is in keeping with the highest traditions of the Armed Forces.

HQ US 1st Army, GO 31, 1 July 1944