"The President of the United States of America, in the
name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to
Major (Air Corps) Pierpont Morgan Hamilton, United States Army Air Forces, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action above and
beyond the call of duty while serving as the Assistant Chief of Staff
for Intelligence, Western Task Force, in North Africa during the
landings of Operation Torch. On 8 November 1942, near Port Lyautey,
French Morocco, Lieutenant Colonel Hamilton volunteered to accompany
Colonel Demas Craw on a dangerous mission to the French commander,
designed to bring about a cessation of hostilities. Driven away from the
mouth of the Sebou River by heavy shelling from all sides, the landing
boat was finally beached at Mehdia Plage despite continuous machinegun
fire from three low-flying hostile planes. Driven in a light truck
toward French headquarters, this courageous mission encountered
intermittent firing, and as it neared Port Lyautey a heavy burst of
machinegun fire was delivered upon the truck from pointblank range,
killing Colonel Craw instantly. Although captured immediately, after
this incident, Lieutenant Colonel Hamilton completed the mission."
From Lt. Col. Hamilton's Medal of Honor citation, awarded on January 23, 1943.
Brian & Melonie
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