"He was a platoon guide in an assault on a camouflaged entrenchment
defended by machine guns, rifles, and mortars. When his men were pinned
down by 2 enemy machine guns, he voluntarily advanced under heavy fire to
within 20 yards of 1 of the guns and attacked it with a hand grenade.
The enemy, however, threw the grenade back at him before it could
explode. Arming a second grenade, he held it for several seconds of the
safe period and then hurled it into the enemy position, where it
exploded instantaneously, destroying the gun and crew. He then moved
toward the remaining gun, throwing grenades into enemy foxholes as he
advanced. Inspired by his actions, 1 squad of his platoon joined him.
After he had armed another grenade and was preparing to throw it into
the second machine gun position, 6 enemy soldiers rushed at him. Knowing
he could not dispose of the armed grenade without injuring his comrades,
because of the intermingling in close combat of the men of his platoon
and the enemy in the melee which ensued, he deliberately covered the
grenade with his body and was severely wounded as it exploded. By his
heroic actions, S/Sgt. Cooley not only silenced a machine gun and so
inspired his fellow soldiers that they pressed the attack and destroyed
the remaining enemy emplacements, but also, in complete disregard of his
own safety, accepted certain injury and possible loss of life to avoid
wounding his comrades."
From S/Sgt. Cooley's Medal of Honor citation, awarded on September 10, 1945.
Thank you for your service and may you be at peace,
Brian
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