allied forces landed in luzon in early january 1945. on june 13, general macarthur personally awarded ramsey the distinguished service cross for his guerrilla activities. ramsey, already a major by 1943, was promoted to lieutenant colonel shortly before being ordered back to the united states. the ordeal in the philippines had taken its toll – he had lost half his weight and was down to only in january 1945 – and he spent nearly a year recovering from malaria, dysentery, and acute malnutrition in the hospital. lieutenant colonel ramsey received a medical discharge in 1946.