"He displayed conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the
call of duty. Forced by the enemy's detonation of prepared demolitions
to shift the course of his advance through the city, he led the 1st
platoon toward a small bridge, where heavy fire from 3 enemy pillboxes
halted the unit. With 2 men he crossed the bridge behind screening
grenade smoke to attack the pillboxes. The first he knocked out himself
while covered by his men's protecting fire; the other 2 were silenced by
1 of his companions and a bazooka
team which he had called up. He suffered a painful wound in the right
arm during the action. After his entire platoon had joined him, he
pushed ahead through mortar
fire and encircling flames. Blocked from the only escape route by an
enemy machinegun placed at a street corner, he entered a nearby building
with his men to explore possible means of reducing the emplacement. In 1
room he found civilians huddled together, in another, a small window
placed high in the wall and reached by a ladder. Because of the relative
positions of the window, ladder, and enemy emplacement, he decided that
he, being left-handed, could better hurl a grenade than 1 of his men
who had made an unsuccessful attempt. Grasping an armed grenade, he
started up the ladder. His wounded right arm weakened, and, as he tried
to steady himself, the grenade fell to the floor. In the 5 seconds
before the grenade would explode, he dropped down, recovered the grenade
and looked for a place to dispose of it safely. Finding no way to get
rid of the grenade without exposing his own men or the civilians to
injury or death, he turned to the wall, held it close to his body and
bent over it as it exploded. 2d Lt. Viale died in a few minutes, but his
heroic act saved the lives of others."
From 2Lt. Viale's Medal of Honor citation, awarded on October 25, 1945.
May you be at peace,
Brian & Mel
Viale Range at Camp Perry, Ohio.
Viale Range at Camp Roberts, CA
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