On March 20, 1945, at Villa Verde Trail on Luzon in the Philippine Islands, Staff Sergeant Ysmael R. Villegas of Company F, 127th Infantry, 32d Infantry Division, United States Army, was a squad leader when his unit in a forward position clashed with an enemy strongly entrenched in connected caves and foxholes on commanding ground. Moving boldly from man to man through bursting grenades, demolition charges, and heavy machine gun and rifle fire, he bolstered the spirit of his comrades, and inspired by his gallantry his men pressed forward to the crest of the hill. When enemy riflemen continued firing from their foxholes, he charged one position and killed the Japanese soldier there at point-blank range, then rushed a second foxhole and killed another enemy. In rapid succession he attacked a third, fourth, and fifth foxhole, destroying the enemy within each one. As the fire against him grew more intense, he pressed on toward a sixth position, where he was hit and killed. At the cost of his life, his heroism and indomitable fighting spirit inspired his men to make a determined attack that swept the enemy from the field.