AMEDD Distinguished Service Cross Recipients

• A-D First Lieutenant Lester Dannenberg was a Medical Administrative Corps officer, the forerunner of the Medical Service Corps. Four recipients on this page received the DSC for actions on 6 June 1944, D-Day
• E-H Of particular note on this page is a DSC for Captain John Erbes who also received 4 Silver Stars and a Bronze Star. Major Luther C. Heidger, Flight Surgeon (Medical Corps) for the 19th Bombardment Group, earned his DSC treating wounded on the airfield during a Japanese air attack on Clark Field, Luzon. He would later become a prisoner of war and held at POW camp 2 on Davao, Mindanao. Sadly, while being transported to Japan his ship (Shinyo Maru) was torpedoed and Major Heidger was killed. Read the entire story in the AMEDD Historian
• I-L In addition to the DSC, Corporal Sinton Jones Jr. was awarded the Silver Star. Technician Fifth Grade Harold Lange also earned the Silver Star. Technician Third Grade Henry J. Kucharski earned the Silver Star twice in addition to his DSC. One outstanding write-up on this page is for Technician Fifth Grade Richard F. Linn.
• M-R First Lieutenant Clayton Mickelsen is the only known Veterinary Corps officer to earn the Distinguished Service Cross. Read his heroic citation and tragic aftermath. Prior to coming to America and joining the Army, Technician Fifth Grade Leo Rosskamm was a prisoner in a Nazi concentration camp in 1938. Read his story in the AMEDD Historian. Captain (Medical Corps) Emerald M. Ralston's award is quite amazing.
• S-Z Private John J. Van Valkenburg was decorated for actions over a sustained period of time, 6 June to 5 July 1944.

Dr. Lawton Shank (First Lieutenant, Medical Corps, USAR) employed as a civilian doctor on Wake Island in 1941, is the ONLY civilian ever awarded the Navy Cross. Read his citation. Read his entire story in the AMEDD Historian