COLONEL CARL R. BERNARD, (then second Lieutenant), Infantry, United States Army. Lieutenant Bernard, a member of Company L, 21st Infantry regiment, 24th Infantry Division, distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action against the enemy near Chochiwon, Korea, on 10 July 1950. When Company L was attacked by a numerically superior enemy force, supported by armor, Lieutenant Bernard, voluntarily and on his own initiative, organized and led a small patrol forward and engaged the enemy tanks, personally destroying two enemy tanks and dispersing two others with accurate 2.36-inch rocket fire. The following morning when his company was ordered to withdraw before an estimated enemy regiment which had encircled their positions, Lieutenant Bernard, single-handedly and with complete disregard for his own safety,. attacked with his carbine and hand grenades, an enemy machine gun which was blocking his companyÃs only route of withdrawal. Lieutenant Bernard with extreme calmness advanced through the heavy enemy small-arms fire and killed four enemy soldiers with carbine fire and destroyed the machine gun and crew with hand grenades, opening a route of withdrawal. Lieutenant Bernard then collected stragglers, organizing them into a fighting unit and placed them into new defensive positions to cover the battalion withdrawal. Lieutenant BernardÃs aggressive attacks on the enemy tanks and machine-gun emplacement inspired the outnumbered men of his command to fight with him, until out of ammunition, against overwhelming odds. The extraordinary heroism displayed by Lieutenant Bernard reflects great credit on himself and is in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service. Entered the military service from California.
Col. Bernard resided in Virginia.