Evening star., 1954-09-07
Eisenhower 10 Give
Medals 10 7 Heroes
OF Korea War Today
By Gornett D. Homer
s,or siatf Correspondent

ssor ssaH Correspondent
DENVER, Sept. President
Eisenhower, fresh from his an
nual physical checkup In Fitz-
simmons Army Hospital here.
today presents Congressional
Medals Of Honor to two Army
heroes Of the Korean War.
The President entered the hos
pital yesterday. stayed overnight
and planned to be back in his
summer White House. office at
Lowry Air Force Base here by
10 am. MIST.
White House Press Secretary
James c. Hagerty said there was
nothing wrong" with Gen. Els
enhower, who enters an Army
hospital once year for a COM
plete physical checkup. The re-
suits are not expected to be
known for several days.
Mr.. Hagerty said that Gen..
Eisenhower has been getting
such an examination "for many
years-at least the last TO-" and
that he is "quite insistent on it.
The Chief Executive was ac-
companied to Fitzsimmons by
the White House physician. Maj.
Gen. Howard M. Snyder, who re-
portedly has been urging the
President to ease up.
Signs Of WEAKNESS.
Some of those who have seen
the President recently have
noted what they thought were
signs of strain Of WEAKNESS in
his manner. This may be be-
cause his word-and-play vaca-
ton here has been heavy on the
work side. with little time for
complete rest and relaxation.
He had q lot Of paper work to
do in acting on more than 500
bills passed by Congress in its
adjournment rush and reaching
his desk after he came here two
weeks ago last Saturday. He has
been deeply disturbed, too, by
Frances death blow to the Euro
pean Defense Community prof.
ect and the more recent tension
building incidents In the Far
East.
The most likely prescription"
to come from the Presidents
hospital checkup is that he cast
aside Office pressures as much, as
possible and try to get a "real
vacation" soon.
The Medals of Honor presenta-
ton ceremony was scheduled for
1880 am. on the steps Of the
Lowry Field headquarters build
ing. ....s..
Those Receiving Medals.
Gen. Eisenhower planned to
pin the medals on:
First 1t. BENJAMIN F. Wilson,
49,. from Vashon, Wash, who as
a master sergeant killed 18 of
the enemy single-handedly dur
ing a series of fierce attacks and
counter-attacks near Hwach-
On-Myon, Korea, on June 5,
1851.
M/Sergt. Ola L. Mize, %, from
GadSden. Ala. who tenaciOlSly
fought back after being blown
down by artillery and grenade
blasts three time during an enc
my attack near Surang-Ni, Ko-
rea, on June 10. 1858. and killed
10 of the enemy in re-taking a
machine gun post overrun by
the Communists.
1t. Wilson was cited for "in-
domitable courage" sustained
valor and intrepid actions" He
dashed forward through wither-
ing enemy fire to neutralize a
Red position by killing four
enemy soldiers manning four
submachine guns. Then he led
a bayonet attack that killed q.
Then he routed an enemy coun-
ter-attack by killing seven more
himself. Wounded. he still led
another charge in which he
killed three enemy soldiers with
his rifle before 1t was wrested
from his hands and then used
his entrenching tool to kill four
others.
Rescued Wounded Comrade.
Sergt. Mize was cited for
"valorous conduct and unflinch-
ing courage" During a heavy
enemy attack, he moved through
an intense barrage to rescue a
wounded comrade. Then he es-
tablished an effective defense
system that inflicted heavy cas-
ualties on the enemy before he
took back the overrun machine
gun post singlehandedly.
1t Wilson now is stationed at
the Rocket and Guided Missile
Research Center, Huntsville, Ala.
Sergt Mize is at Fort Mcclellan,
Ala.
just before the President en-
tered the hospital yesterday he
conferred with Fred NJ. Mock,
Republican candidate for the
Senate in Oklahoma who is seek
ing to unseat Democratic Sem
ator Kerr. Mr.. Mock, who de-
scribed himself as an Eisenhower
Republican "all the way" said
the President wished him luck
in his campaign and expressed
hope that I'VE can win in Okla
homa."