James M. Cushing; Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army
From 22 January 1944 to 23 March 1945, Lieutenant Colonel James M. Cushing was commanding the Philippine resistance movement against the Japanese on Cebu Island in the Philippines. His forces in the Cebu Area Command numbered about 8,500. In early 1944, he was instrumental in the Koga affair in which the Imperial Japanese Navy's Plan Z [the Empire's fully-detailed strategy for prosecuting the last stages of the Pacific War], was recovered by his guerrillas from a crashed Japanese aircraft. Cushing traded Japanese Rear Admiral Shigeru Fukudome and other survivors of the plane crash (but not the captured Plan Z) for the assurance that Japanese forces on Cebu would stop murdering civilians; a promise that the Japanese kept. LTC Cushing's courageous actions and extraordinary heroism during that period earned him the U.S. Army's second highest award for valor, the Distinguished Service Cross.
Post-Military Service
LTC Cushing survived the war and continued living in the Philippines until his death in 1963.
Medals and Awards Distinguished Service Cross Purple Heart
Distinguished Service Cross Citation (Synopsis):
Lieutenant Colonel (Corps of Engineers) James M. Cushing, United States Army, was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy, in action against enemy forces from 22 January 1944 through 23 March 1945. Lieutenant Colonel Cushing's intrepid actions, personal bravery and zealous devotion to duty exemplify the highest traditions of the military forces of the United States and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.
General Orders: Headquarters, U.S. Army Forces in the Far East, General Orders No. 109 (September 20, 1945)
Death and Burial: Lieutenant Colonel James M. Cushing died on 26 August 1963 in the Philippines. He is burind in the Philippines.
Walter Cushing and his brother James M. Cushing were born in Mexico before moving to California. Each received the Distinguished Service Cross for heroism in the Philippine Islands during World War II. Walter Cushing was captured by the Japanese and was subsequently executed in captivity. They were one of only three sets of brothers to each earn the Distinguished Service Cross during World War II.
Source: Military Hall of Honor