Robert Lee Baltz
Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army

Robert Lee Baltz enlisted in the U.S. Army on 17 March 1950 and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant of Infantry on 2 August 1951.

In June 1952, Second Lieutenant Robert Lee Baltz was serving with K Company, 3rd Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, in Korea.

On the morning of 16 June, 2LT Baltz led an assault squad in an attack on a heavily-fortified hill to capture or kill enemy troops. An intense barrage of enemy small-arms, mortar, and artillery fire was encountered as they advanced toward the enemy position. 2LT Baltz left the squad and threw granades in an enemy bunker. While returning to his squad, 2LT Baltz saw the enemy moving in reinforcements and assaulted the hill, encouraging his men to follow. After advancing only a few yards, 2LT Baltz was hit by a burst of fire from an enemy machine gun and mortally wounded. This extraordinary heroism earned him the U.S. Army's second highest award for valor, the Distinguished Service Cross.

Medals, Awards and Badges

Distinguished Service Cross
Purple Heart
National Defense Service Medal
Korean Service Medal
United Nations Service Medal
Republic of Korea War Service Medal
Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation
Combat Infantryman Badge

Distinguished Service Cross Citation

The President of the United States of America, under the provisions of the Act of Congress approved July 9, 1918, takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to Second Lieutenant (Infantry) Robert L. Baltz (ASN: 0-2028370), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy of the United Nations while serving with an Infantry Company of the 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. Second Lieutenant Baltz distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action against enemy aggressor forces in the vicinity of Tang-Wan-ni, Korea. On the morning of 16 June 1952, Lieutenant Baltz led an assault squad in an attack on a heavily-fortified hill to capture or kill enemy troops. While the group was advancing toward the position, an intense barrage of enemy small-arms, mortar, and artillery fire was encountered. In spite of the dangers involved, Lieutenant Baltz left the squad and circled an enemy bunker to throw grenades into the tunnel which connected the communications trench and the bunker. Returning to his squad, Lieutenant Baltz saw that the enemy was moving in reinforcements. Unhesitatingly, he assaulted the hill, encouraging his men to follow. Lieutenant Baltz had advanced only a few yards when he was hit by a burst of fire from an enemy burp-gun and mortally wounded.

General Orders: Headquarters, Eighth U.S. Army, Korea: General Orders No. 297 (March 15, 1953)

Death and Burial

Second Lieutenant Robert Lee Baltz was Killed in Action on 16 June 1952. He is buried at Sunset Memorial Park in Eureka, Humboldt County, CA.