Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Private 1st Class

Unit:

Company K, 253d Infantry Regiment, 63rd Infantry Division "Blood and Fire", U.S. Army (Company K, 253d Infantry Regiment, 63rd Infantry Division "Blood and Fire", U.S. Army)

By direction of the President, the Distinguished Service Cross is awarded to the following individual: Eugene B. Reich, Private First Class 33662432, Company K, 253d Infantry Regiment, for extraordinary heroism in action on 12 April 1945, near Lampoldhousen, Germany. When his platoon was cut off by two enemy machine guns and several snipers, Private First Class Reich destroyed the first hostile gun with a grenade, killing two Germans and wounding one. He moved across open ground, to a second machine gun position and annihilated it in a similar manner, killing two more of the enemy. After returning to a defiladed position, he skillfully rescued and evacuated a wounded officer. Private First Class Reich then carried sorely needed ammunition to his platoon across seventy-five yards of fire-swept terrain. His courageous actions enabled his unit to carry on the fire fight and reach its objective.

Headquarters, Seventh U.S. Army, General Orders No. 587 (8 October 1945).