In the battle for Hill 174, Coursen observed that one of the men of his platoon had entered a well-hidden gun emplacement, thought to be unoccupied, and had been shot. Coursen ran to his aid and without regard for his personal safety, Coursen engaged the KPA in hand-to-hand combat in an effort to protect the wounded soldier until he himself was killed. When his body was recovered after the battle, seven KPA dead were found within the emplacement. Coursen's actions saved the wounded soldier's life and eliminated the main position of the enemy roadblock. For his actions, Lieutenant Coursen was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously.