PRIVATE FIRST CLASS RICHARD F. BLASONGAME, United States Marine Corps Reserve. For extraordinary heroism on the night of 15-16 September 1951 while serving with Weapons Company, Second Battalion, First Marines, First Marine Division (reinforced), in action against enemy aggressor forces in the Hwanggi area, East-Central Korea. Acting as platoon sergeant of the heavy machine-gun platoon, Private First Class Blasongame was put in direct command of the first section of heavy machine guns which were emplaced along a ridgeline on the point of the battalion perimeter, exposed to attack from three sides, and in close proximity to fortified enemy positions. With his gun section bearing the brunt of a series of determined attacks carried out by the enemy during the night, Private First Class Blasongame exhibited unusual courage, leadership, and initiative. Despite the fierceness and intensity of the enemy attacks, he maintained perfect fire control, manned a gun when one of the gunners was wounded, hurled grenades, rendered first aid, supervised the evacuation of the wounded, and rallied his men to repulse each ensuing attack. When ammunition and grenades became critically short, he left his foxhole and exposed himself to a hail of hostile fire to notify the company commander of the situation and to supervise resupply. On one occasion, upon discovering that the supporting troops on his flank positions had been either killed or wounded, he refused to withdraw his section and continued to hold the position, later going to adjacent positions, bringing up reinforcements, and placing them in positions on his flanks. When a grenade exploded under his last remaining gun, inflicting wounds on his face and hands, and jamming the traversing mechanism, Private First Class Blasongame continued to fire by moving the tripod from side to side. By the next morning, four survivors remained out of his original sixteen-man section, with three of the casualties having been killed. Two hundred and eighty-seven enemy dead were counted in front of the point position, representing only a small portion of the total casualties inflicted during the night. Through his valiant and inspiring actions in holding his position in the face of an apparently hopeless situation, Private First Class Blasongame upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

Mr. Blasongame is a life member and resides in Southern California. He is the L.O.V.’s current chaplain.