"He displayed conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his
life above and beyond the call of duty on 8 April 1945 near
Lobenbacherhof, Germany. As his company was advancing toward the village
under heavy fire, an enemy machine gun and automatic rifle
with rifle support opened upon it from a hill on the right flank.
Seeing that his platoon leader had been wounded by their fire, S/Sgt.
Crews, acting on his own initiative, rushed the strong point with 2 men
of his platoon. Despite the fact that 1 of these men was killed and the
other was badly wounded, he continued his advance up the hill in the
face of terrific enemy fire. Storming the well-dug-in position
single-handedly, he killed 2 of the crew of the machine gun at pointblank
range with his M1 rifle
and wrested the gun from the hands of the German whom he had already
wounded. He then with his rifle charged the strongly emplaced automatic
rifle. Although badly wounded in the thigh by crossfire from the
remaining enemy, he kept on and silenced the entire position with his
accurate and deadly rifle fire. His actions so unnerved the remaining
enemy soldiers that 7 of them surrendered and the others fled. His
heroism caused the enemy to concentrate on him and permitted the company
to move forward into the village."
From S/Sgt. Crews' Medal of Honor citation, awarded in 1945.
Thank you for your service and may you be at peace,
Brian
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