CAPTAIN, 0-1914, COAST ARTILLERY CORPS
( POSTHUMOUS )
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty against overwhelming enemy forces at Yultong, North Korea on 22-23 April 1951. As commanding officer of the Tank Company, 10th Batallion Combat Team, Philippine Expeditionary Force Korea (PEFTOK), Captain Yap, at 2300 hours on 22 April 1951, was executing a defensive action as an advance element of the frontline defense of the United States Army when an overwhelmingly superior enemy force assaulted the PEFTOK position as a part of the enemy's general offensive.
Upon being informed by this most advance unit that the enemy were rushing in to overrun their hill position and that the leader of this unit FIRST LIEUTENANT JOSE M ARTIAGA JR 0-1966 INFANTRY, was hit, Captain Yap, determined, held their position at all costs, reinforced the trapped unit of Lieutenant Artiaga and fought the enemy for one hour without success. Recoiling a personal report from a member of the trapped unit who succeeded in extricating himself that the enemy has already captured the position and that Lieutenant Artiaga and many others were killed, captured or wounded, Captain Yap, in a desperate effort to rescue the lost unit ordered for covering support from the other units under his command and personally led a furious counterattack to regain the hill position and rescue the trapped unit despite an authority that he may withdraw which has already received.
He succeeded in recovering the body of Lieutenant Artiaga and that three other enlistedmen, not being satisfied with this and active above and beyond the call of duty, he proceeded to assault an enemy replacement about 300 yards away despite the hail of enemy fires until he fell dead from an enemy bullet. His extraordinary heroism, indomitable courage, calmness and decisiveness won for him and the entire 10th Battalion Combat Team praises by other allied nation's soldiers with whom they were fighting side by side in Korea, and will inevitably form a part of the glorious traditions of our armed forces.
(Reference: GENERAL ORDERS NUMBER 320, dated 2 June 1951, General Headquarters, Armed
Forces of the Philippines, Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo, Quezon City)
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