"For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and
beyond the call of duty. At about 1430 hours on 8 January 1945, during
an attack on Hill 616, near Kayserberg, France, T/Sgt. Dunham
single-handedly assaulted 3 enemy machine guns. Wearing a white robe
made of a mattress cover, carrying 12 carbine magazines and with a dozen
hand grenades snagged in his belt, suspenders, and buttonholes, T/Sgt.
Dunham advanced in the attack up a snow-covered hill under fire from 2
machine guns and supporting riflemen. His platoon 35 yards behind him,
T/Sgt. Dunham crawled 75 yards under heavy direct fire toward the
timbered emplacement shielding the left machine gun. As he jumped to his
feet 10 yards from the gun and charged forward, machine gun fire tore
through his camouflage robe and a rifle bullet seared a 10-inch gash
across his back sending him spinning 15 yards down hill into the snow.
When the indomitable sergeant sprang to his feet to renew his 1-man
assault, a German egg grenade landed beside him. He kicked it aside, and
as it exploded 5 yards away, shot and killed the German machine gunner
and assistant gunner. His carbine empty, he jumped into the emplacement
and hauled out the third member of the gun crew by the collar. Although
his back wound was causing him excruciating pain and blood was seeping
through his white coat, T/Sgt. Dunham proceeded 50 yards through a storm
of automatic and rifle fire to attack the second machine gun.
Twenty-five yards from the emplacement he hurled 2 grenades, destroying
the gun and its crew; then fired down into the supporting foxholes with
his carbine dispatching and dispersing the enemy riflemen. Although his
coat was so thoroughly blood-soaked that he was a conspicuous target
against the white landscape, T/Sgt. Dunham again advanced ahead of his
platoon in an assault on enemy positions farther up the hill. Coming
under machine gun fire from 65 yards to his front, while rifle grenades
exploded 10 yards from his position, he hit the ground and crawled
forward. At 15 yards range, he jumped to his feet, staggered a few paces
toward the timbered machine gun emplacement and killed the crew with
hand grenades. An enemy rifleman fired at pointblank range, but missed
him. After killing the rifleman, T/Sgt. Dunham drove others from their
foxholes with grenades and carbine fire. Killing 9 Germans—wounding 7
and capturing 2—firing about 175 rounds of carbine ammunition, and
expending 11 grenades, T/Sgt. Dunham, despite a painful wound,
spearheaded a spectacular and successful diversionary attack."
From T/Sgt. Dunham's Medal of Honor citation, awarded on May 11, 1945.
Thank you for your service and may you be at peace,
Brian
As told by the man, himself.
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