"He displayed conspicuous gallantry during an attack on powerful enemy
positions. He courageously exposed himself to withering hostile fire to
rescue 2 wounded men and then, although painfully wounded himself, made a
third trip to carry another soldier to safety from an open area.
Ignoring the profuse bleeding of his wound, he gallantly led men of his
platoon forward until they were pinned down by murderous flanking fire
from 2 enemy machine guns. He fearlessly crawled alone to within 30 feet
of the first enemy position, killed the crew of 4 and silenced the gun
with accurate grenade fire. He continued to crawl through intense enemy
fire to within 20 feet of the second position where he leaped to his
feet, made a lone, ferocious charge and captured the gun and its 9-man
crew. Observing another platoon pinned down by 2 more German machine
guns, he led a squad on a flanking approach and, rising to his knees in
the face of direct fire, coolly and deliberately lobbed 3 grenades at
the Germans, silencing 1 gun and killing its crew. With tenacious
aggressiveness, he ran toward the other gun and knocked it out with
grenade fire. He then returned to his platoon and led it in a fierce,
inspired charge, forcing the enemy to fall back in confusion. 1st Lt.
Will was mortally wounded in this last action, but his heroic
leadership, indomitable courage, and unflinching devotion to duty live
on as a perpetual inspiration to all those who witnessed his deeds."
From 1Lt. Will's Medal of Honor citation, awarded on October 17, 1945.
May you be at peace,
Brian & Melonie
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