Robert J. Brown’s Distinguished Service Cross citation

The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to

Robert Joseph Brown

Private First Class, U.S. Marine Corps

for service as set forth in the following

CITATION:

for extraordinary heroism while serving with Headquarters Company, Third Battalion, Fourth Marines, SIXTH Marine Division, in action in the vicinity of Abucay, Bataan, Philippine Islands, on 15 January 1942. While on legal leave from his proper unit, Private First Class Brown voluntarily joined a detail from the 57th Infantry which was charged with the mission of destroying an enemy position through which snipers were infiltrating into our lines. During the performance of this mission this intrepid soldier, observing that one of his companions had been severely wounded, and was unable to move, proceeded without orders in the face of enemy machine gun fire at close range in an effort to evacuate the casualty. Silencing a hostile gun by a well-placed hand grenade, and inflicting several additional casualties on another enemy group which prevented his reaching the vicinity of the wounded man, Private First Class Brown had thereby disclosed his position to the enemy and was mortally wounded by the ensuing enemy fire.