"He led the assault squad when Company G attacked enemy hill positions. The enemy force, estimated to be a reinforced infantry company, was well
supplied with machineguns, ammunition, grenades, and blocks of TNT
and could be attacked only across a narrow ridge 70 yards long. At the
end of this ridge an enemy pillbox and rifle positions were set in
rising ground. Covered by his squad, S/Sgt Laws traversed the hogback
through vicious enemy fire until close to the pillbox, where he hurled
grenades at the fortification. Enemy grenades wounded him, but he
persisted in his assault until 1 of his missiles found its mark and
knocked out the pillbox. With more grenades, passed to him by members of
his squad who had joined him, he led the attack on the entrenched
riflemen. In the advance up the hill, he suffered additional wounds in
both arms and legs, about the body and in the head, as grenades and TNT
charges exploded near him. Three Japs rushed him with fixed bayonets, and he emptied the magazine of his machine pistol
at them, killing 2. He closed in hand-to-hand combat with the third,
seizing the Jap's rifle as he met the onslaught. The 2 fell to the
ground and rolled some 50 or 60 feet down a bank. When the dust cleared
the Jap lay dead and the valiant American was climbing up the hill with a
large gash across the head. He was given first aid and evacuated from
the area while his squad completed the destruction of the enemy
position. S/Sgt. Laws' heroic actions provided great inspiration to his
comrades, and his courageous determination, in the face of formidable
odds and while suffering from multiple wounds, enabled them to secure an
important objective with minimum casualties."
From S/Sgt. Laws' Medal of Honor citation, awarded on September 10, 1945.
May you be at peace,
Brian
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