"He was leading the 2d Platoon of Company F over flat, open terrain to Hamelin, Germany, when the enemy went into action with machine guns and
automatic weapons, laying down a devastating curtain of fire which
pinned his unit to the ground. By rotating men in firing positions he
made it possible for his entire platoon to dig in, defying all the while
the murderous enemy fire to encourage his men and to distribute
ammunition. He then dug in himself at the most advanced position, where
he kept up a steady fire, killing 6 hostile soldiers, and directing his
men in inflicting heavy casualties on the numerically superior opposing
force. Despite these defensive measures, however, the position of the
platoon became more precarious, for the enemy had brought up strong
reinforcements and was preparing a counterattack. Three men, sent back
at intervals to obtain ammunition and reinforcements, were killed by
sniper fire. To relieve his command from the desperate situation, 1st
Lt. Beaudoin decided to make a l-man attack on the most damaging enemy
sniper nest 90 yards to the right flank, and thereby divert attention
from the runner who would attempt to pierce the enemy's barrier of
bullets and secure help. Crawling over completely exposed ground, he
relentlessly advanced, undeterred by 8 rounds of bazooka fire which
threw mud and stones over him or by rifle fire which ripped his uniform.
Ten yards from the enemy position he stood up and charged. At
point-blank range he shot and killed 2 occupants of the nest; a third,
who tried to bayonet him, he overpowered and killed with the butt of his
carbine; and the fourth adversary was cut down by the platoon's rifle
fire as he attempted to flee. He continued his attack by running toward a
dugout, but there he was struck and killed by a burst from a
machine gun. By his intrepidity, great fighting skill, and supreme
devotion to his responsibility for the well-being of his platoon, 1st
Lt. Beaudoin single-handedly accomplished a mission that enabled a
messenger to secure help which saved the stricken unit and made possible
the decisive defeat of the German forces."
From 1st Lieutenant Raymond O. Beaudoin's Medal of Honor citation, awarded on January 25, 1946.
Thank you for your service and may you be at peace,
Brian
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