"He fought with conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity when powerful
Japanese counter blows were being struck in a desperate effort to
annihilate a newly won beachhead. In a forward position, armed with a
sub-machine gun, he met the brunt of a strong, well-supported night attack
which quickly enveloped his platoon's flanks. Many men in nearby
positions were killed or injured, and Pvt. Moon was wounded as his
foxhole became the immediate object of a concentration of mortar
and machine gun fire. Nevertheless, he maintained his stand, poured
deadly fire into the enemy, daringly exposed himself to hostile fire
time after time to exhort and inspire what American troops were left in
the immediate area. A Japanese officer, covered by machine gun fire and
hidden by an embankment, attempted to knock out his position with
grenades, but Pvt. Moon, after protracted and skillful maneuvering,
killed him. When the enemy advanced a light machine gun to within 20
yards of the shattered perimeter and fired with telling effects on the
remnants of the platoon, he stood up to locate the gun and remained
exposed while calling back range corrections to friendly mortars which
knocked out the weapon. A little later he killed 2 Japanese as they
charged an aid man. By dawn his position, the focal point of the attack
for more than 4 hours, was virtually surrounded. In a fanatical effort
to reduce it and kill its defender, an entire platoon charged with fixed
bayonets. Firing from a sitting position, Pvt. Moon calmly emptied his
magazine into the advancing horde, killing 18 and repulsing the attack. In a final display of bravery, he stood up to throw a grenade at a
machine gun which had opened fire on the right flank. He was hit and
instantly killed, falling in the position from which he had not been
driven by the fiercest enemy action. Nearly 200 dead Japanese were found
within 100 yards of his foxhole. The continued tenacity, combat
sagacity, and magnificent heroism with which Pvt. Moon fought on against
overwhelming odds contributed in a large measure to breaking up a
powerful enemy threat and did much to insure our initial successes
during a most important operation."
From Pvt. Moon Jr.'s Medal of Honor citation, awarded on November 15, 1945.
One of America's bravest sons, may he be at peace,
Brian & Mel
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