F

irst Lieutenant Tawes was a member of Battery A, 77th Field Artillery Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division. On 5 October 1951, when a grenade fell near his radio operator, he bravely used his body as a shield to protect his comrade. Later that day he was directing artillery fire near Mak-tong, North Korea, when he was mortally wounded by enemy mortar fire.

For his leadership and valor, First Lieutenant Tawes was awarded the Silver Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.