"For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and
beyond the call of duty. On 17 August 1944, near La Londe, France, he
climbed on top of a knocked-out tank, in the face of withering
machine gun fire which had halted the advance of his company, in an
effort to locate the source of this fire. Although bullets ricocheted
off the turret at his feet, he nevertheless remained standing upright in
full view of the enemy for over 2 minutes. Locating the enemy
machine guns on a knoll 200 yards away, he ordered 2 squads to cover him
and led his men down an irrigation ditch, running a gauntlet of intense
machine gun fire, which completely blanketed 50 yards of his advance and
wounded 4 of his men. While the Germans hurled hand grenades
at the ditch, he stood his ground until his squad caught up with him,
then advanced alone, in a wide flanking approach, to the rear of the
knoll. He walked deliberately a distance of 40 yards, without cover, in
full view of the Germans and under a hail of both enemy and friendly
fire, to the first machine gun and knocked it out with a single short
burst. Then he made his way through the strong point, despite bursting
hand grenades, toward the second machine gun, 25 yards distant, whose
2-man crew swung the machine gun around and fired two bursts at him, but
he walked calmly through the fire and, reaching the edge of the
emplacement, dispatched the crew. Signaling his men to rush the rifle
pits, he then walked 35 yards further to kill an enemy rifleman and
returned to lead his squad in the destruction of the 8 remaining Germans
in the strong point. His audacity so inspired the remainder of the
assault company that the men charged out of their positions, shouting
and yelling, to overpower the enemy roadblock and sweep into town,
knocking out 2 antitank guns, killing 37 Germans and capturing 26
others. He had sparked and led the assault company in an attack which
overwhelmed the enemy, destroying a roadblock, taking a town, seizing
intact 3 bridges over the Maravenne River, and capturing commanding
terrain which dominated the area."
Thank you for your service and may you be at peace,
Brian
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