How silly our concerns, thoughts, and actions seem when juxtaposed against circumstances that truly are important and difficult. As I watched the snow disappear today, washed away by rising temperatures and falling rain, I couldn't help but reflect upon a long ago winter - one which was replete with continuous storms of snow, ice, shot, and shell. Many American boys spent the winter of 1944 waist deep in the snows of the Ardenne Forest in Belgium. They had fought across Europe in the six preceding months, leaving the blood soaked beaches of Normandy behind to drive the Wermacht eastward toward the fatherland. The faster and more relentlessly east they fought, the faster and more speedily west they could sail - toward home, with victory assured and life to live.
In it's path, the United States Army left thousands of liberated towns and villages, small hamlets that to this day remember the tenacity, courage, and legacy of the American soldier. That legacy was one of restored and enduring freedom - a hard won freedom which came at the suffering and sacrifice of thousands of America's finest - some say greatest - generation. Their humility never allowed them to so state for themselves, but the people of western Europe and of America know the truth of their greatness and thank God for them still - sixty five years hence. May it ever be so.
Youth is often disparaged and looked down upon - it can be a time of unnecessary attitudes and actions characterized by immaturity, when irresponsiblity reigns over wasted time and unfulfilled promise. Not so for the boys of '41-'45. Forced to face the reality of evil in the world, these boys accepted that truth and faced it head on - they enlisted in the fighting forces for good and freedom and trained themselves to face the onslaught of fierce and desperate foes. When I speak to them today or read of their accomplishments, I stand in awe and wonderment at their intrepid spirits - I often find myself asking questions, through a veil of grateful tears, "How did they do it? What compelled them to risk all that they loved? What kept them going through impossible odds and conditions and how can they now seem so nonplussed at what they did for their homes, their country, their world?
The answers are both sublime and profound and tell the seeker all they need to know concerning those beloved boys - They did it because they had to - it was their generation that was asked and they responded, through hard work, pain, suffering, sacrifice, and courage - they did it because they loved their God, their families, their country, freedom, and one another - the love and value of these things sustained them through it all and in the end, they upheld one another, carried one another, buried one another, loved one another. To a man, when asked of heroism, they deflect any portion of that word being applied to themselves - they always place it upon another whom they regard with an honor that flows into reverence for all the boys whose lives ended before they began, at 18, 19, 20 - or perhaps as an old man at 25.
These men risked and gave all of their tomorrows that we, their posterity, might enjoy every one of our todays, in freedom. I thought of the boys of the Ardennes as the snow piled high and melted away this week. For weeks, they faced the last, frenzied efforts of the German war machine. They faced endless drifts of snow and dug into the frozen turf to avoid the lead, metal and wood which filled the air with death. They fought brilliantly, surrounded by the enemy, without adequate supplies and with no reinforcement. They held the ground and did not allow the enemy to break out of the bulge created in the line.
In December 1944, Adolph Hitler directed an ambitious counteroffensive with the object of regaining the initiative in the west and compelling the Allies to settle for a negotiated peace.
Hitler's generals were opposed to the plan, but the Fuhrer's will prevailed and the counteroffensive was launched on 16 December by some 30 German divisions against Allied lines in the Ardennes region. Allied defenses there had been thinned to provide troops for the autumn defensive. Hitler's intention was to drive through Antwerp and cut off and annihilate the British 21st Army Group and the U.S. First and Ninth Armies north of the Ardennes.
Aided by stormy weather which grounded Allied planes and restricted observation, the Germans achieved surprise and made rapid gains at first, but firm resistance by various isolated units provided time for the U.S. First and Ninth Armies to shift against the northern flank of the penetration, for the British to send reserves to secure the line to the Meuse, and for Patton's Third Army to hit the salient from the south.
Denied vital roads and hampered by air attack when the weather cleared, the German attack resulted only in a large bulge in the Allied lines which did not even extend to the Meuse River, the Germans' first objective. The Americans suffered some 75,000 casualties in the Battle of the Bulge, but the Germans lost 80,000 to l00,000. German strength had been irredeemably impaired.
By the end of January 1945, American units had retaken all ground they had lost, and the defeat of Germany was clearly only a matter of time. In the east the Red Army had opened a winter offensive that was to carry, eventually, to and beyond Berlin.
Congressional Medal of Honor
ARTHUR O. BEYER
Rank and organization: Corporal, U.S. Army, Company C, 603d Tank Destroyer Battalion.
Place and date: Near Arloncourt, Belgium, 15 January 1945.
Entered service at: St. Ansgar, Iowa.
Born: 20 May 1909, Rock Township, Mitchell County, Iowa.
G.O. No.: 73, 30 August 1945.
Cpl. Beyer's platoon, in which he was a tank-destroyer gunner, was held up by antitank, machinegun, and rifle fire from enemy troops dug in along a ridge about 200 yards to the front.
Noting a machinegun position in this defense line, he fired upon it with his 76-mm. gun killing one man and silencing the weapon. He dismounted from his vehicle and, under direct enemy observation, crossed open ground to capture the two remaining members of the crew. Another machinegun, about 250 yards to the left, continued to fire on him. Through withering fire, he advanced on the position. Throwing a grenade into the emplacement, he killed one crewmember and again captured the two survivors. He was subjected to concentrated small-arms fire but, with great bravery, he worked his way a quarter mile along the ridge, attacking hostile soldiers in their foxholes with his carbine and grenades.
When he had completed his self-imposed mission against powerful German forces, he had destroyed two machinegun positions, killed eight of the enemy and captured 18 prisoners, including two bazooka teams.
Cpl. Beyer's intrepid action and unflinching determination to close with and destroy the enemy eliminated the German defense line and enabled his task force to gain its objective.
Congressional Medal of Honor
MELVIN E. BIDDLE
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Company B, 517th Parachute Infantry Regiment.
Place and date: Near Soy, Belgium, 23-24 December 1944.
Entered service at: Anderson, Indiana.
Born: Daleville, Indiana.
G.O. No. 95, 30 October 1945.
Serving as lead scout during an attack to relieve the enemy-encircled town of Hotton, Pfc. Biddle aggressively penetrated a densely wooded area, advanced 400 yards until he came within range of intense enemy rifle fire, and within 20 yards of enemy positions killed three snipers with unerring marksmanship.
Courageously continuing his advance an additional 200 yards, he discovered a hostile machinegun position and dispatched its two occupants. He then located the approximate position of a well-concealed enemy machinegun nest, and crawling forward threw hand grenades which killed two Germans and fatally wounded a third.
After signaling his company to advance, he entered a determined line of enemy defense, coolly and deliberately shifted his position, and shot three more enemy soldiers. Undaunted by enemy fire, he crawled within 20 yards of a machinegun nest, tossed his last hand grenade into the position, and after the explosion charged the emplacement firing his rifle.
When night fell, he scouted enemy positions alone for several hours and returned with valuable information which enabled our attacking infantry and armor to knock out two enemy tanks.
At daybreak he again led the advance and, when flanking elements were pinned down by enemy fire, without hesitation made his way toward a hostile machinegun position and from a distance of 50 yards killed the crew and two supporting riflemen. The remainder of the enemy, finding themselves without automatic weapon support, fled panic stricken.
Pfc. Biddle's intrepid courage and superb daring during his 20-hour action enabled his battalion to break the enemy grasp on Hotton with a minimum of casualties.
Congressional Medal of Honor
PAUL L. BOLDEN
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company 1, 120th Infantry, 30th Infantry Division.
Place and date: Petit-Coo, Belgium, 23 December 1944.
Entered service at: Madison, Alabama.
Born: Hobbes Island, Iowa.
G.O. No.: 73, 30 August 1945.
He voluntarily attacked a formidable enemy strong point in Petit-Coo, Belgium, on 23 December, 1944, when his company was pinned down by extremely heavy automatic and small-arms fire coming from a house 200 yards to the front.
Mortar and tank artillery shells pounded the unit, when S/Sgt. Bolden and a comrade, on their own initiative, moved forward into a hail of bullets to eliminate the ever-increasing fire from the German position. Crawling ahead to close with what they knew was a powerfully armed, vastly superior force, the pair reached the house and took up assault positions, S/Sgt. Bolden under a window, his comrade across the street where he could deliver covering fire.
In rapid succession, S/Sgt. Bolden hurled a fragmentation grenade and a white phosphorous grenade into the building; and then, fully realizing that he faced tremendous odds, rushed to the door, threw it open and fired into 35 SS troopers who were trying to reorganize themselves after the havoc wrought by the grenades. Twenty Germans died under fire of his submachinegun before he was struck in the shoulder, chest, and stomach by part of a burst which killed his comrade across the street. He withdrew from the house, waiting for the surviving Germans to come out and surrender.
When none appeared in the doorway, he summoned his ebbing strength, overcame the extreme pain he suffered and boldly walked back into the house, firing as he went. He had killed the remaining 15 enemy soldiers when his ammunition ran out.
S/Sgt. Bolden's heroic advance against great odds, his fearless assault, and his magnificent display of courage in reentering the building where he had been severely wounded cleared the path for his company and insured the success of its mission.
Congressional Medal of Honor
Awarded Posthumously
RICHARD ELLER COWAN
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Company M, 23d Infantry, 2d Infantry Division.
Place and date: Near Krinkelter Wald, Belgium, 17 December 1944.
Entered service at: Wichita, Kansas.
Born: Lincoln, Nebraska.
G.O. No.: 48, 23 June 1945.
He was a heavy machinegunner in a section attached to Company I in the vicinity of Krinkelter Wald, Belgium, when that company was attacked by a numerically superior force of German infantry and tanks. The first 6 waves of hostile infantrymen were repulsed with heavy casualties, but a seventh drive with tanks killed or wounded all but three of his section, leaving Pvt. Cowan to man his gun, supported by only 15 to 20 riflemen of Company I. He maintained his position, holding off the Germans until the rest of the shattered force had set up a new line along a firebreak. Then, unaided, he moved his machinegun and ammunition to the second position. At the approach of a Royal Tiger tank, he held his fire until about 80 enemy infantrymen supporting the tank appeared at a distance of about 150 yards. His first burst killed or wounded about half of these infantrymen. His position was rocked by an 88mm. shell when the tank opened fire, but he continued to man his gun, pouring deadly fire into the Germans when they again advanced. He was barely missed by another shell. Fire from three machineguns and innumerable small arms struck all about him; an enemy rocket shook him badly, but did not drive him from his gun. Infiltration by the enemy had by this time made the position untenable, and the order was given to withdraw. Pvt. Cowan was the last man to leave, voluntarily covering the withdrawal of his remaining comrades. His heroic actions were entirely responsible for allowing the remaining men to retire successfully from the scene of their last-ditch stand.
Congressional Medal of Honor
FRANCIS S. CURREY
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company K, 120th Infantry, 30th Infantry Division.
Place and date: Malmedy, Belgium, 21 December 1944.
Entered service at: Hurleyville, New York.
Born: Loch Sheldrake, New York.
G.O. No.: 69, 17 August 1945.
He was an automatic rifleman with the 3d Platoon defending a strong point near Malmedy, Belgium, on 21 December 1944, when the enemy launched a powerful attack. Overrunning tank destroyers and antitank guns located near the strong point, German tanks advanced to the 3d Platoon's position, and, after prolonged fighting, forced the withdrawal of this group to a nearby factory. Sgt. Currey found a bazooka in the building and crossed the street to secure rockets meanwhile enduring intense fire from enemy tanks and hostile infantrymen who had taken up a position at a house a short distance away. In the face of small-arms, machinegun, and artillery fire, he, with a companion, knocked out a tank with one shot. Moving to another position, he observed three Germans in the doorway of an enemy-held house. He killed or wounded all three with his automatic rifle. He emerged from cover and advanced alone to within 50 yards of the house, intent on wrecking it with rockets. Covered by friendly fire, he stood erect, and fired a shot which knocked down half of one wall. While in this forward position, he observed 5 Americans who had been pinned down for hours by fire from the house and three tanks. Realizing that they could not escape until the enemy tank and infantry guns had been silenced, Sgt. Currey crossed the street to a vehicle, where he procured an armful of antitank grenades. These he launched while under heavy enemy fire, driving the tankmen from the vehicles into the house. He then climbed onto a half-track in full view of the Germans and fired a machinegun at the house. Once again changing his position, he manned another machinegun whose crew had been killed; under his covering fire the 5 soldiers were able to retire to safety. Deprived of tanks and with heavy infantry casualties, the enemy was forced to withdraw. Through his extensive knowledge of weapons and by his heroic and repeated braving of murderous enemy fire, Sgt. Currey was greatly responsible for inflicting heavy losses in men and material on the enemy, for rescuing 5 comrades, two of whom were wounded, and for stemming an attack which threatened to flank his battalion's position.
Congressional Medal of Honor
LEONARD A. FUNK, JR.
Rank and organization: First Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company C, 508th Parachute Infantry, 82d Airborne Division.
Place and date: Holzheim, Belgium, 29 January 1945.
Entered service at: Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania.
Born: Braddock Township, Pennsylvania
G.O. No.: 75, 5 September 1945.
After advancing 15 miles in a driving snowstorm, the American force prepared to attack through waist-deep drifts. The company executive officer became a casualty, and 1st Sgt. Funk immediately assumed his duties, forming headquarters soldiers into a combat unit for an assault in the face of direct artillery shelling and harassing fire from the right flank.
Under his skillful and courageous leadership, this miscellaneous group and the 3d Platoon attacked 15 houses, cleared them, and took 30 prisoners without suffering a casualty. The fierce drive of Company C quickly overran Holzheim, netting some 80 prisoners, who were placed under a 4-man guard, all that could be spared, while the rest of the understrength unit went about mopping up isolated points of resistance. An enemy patrol, by means of a ruse, succeeded in capturing the guards and freeing the prisoners, and had begun preparations to attack Company C from the rear when 1st Sgt. Funk walked around the building and into their midst.
He was ordered to surrender by a German officer who pushed a machine pistol into his stomach. Although overwhelmingly outnumbered and facing almost certain death, 1st Sgt. Funk, pretending to comply with the order, began slowly to unsling his submachine gun from his shoulder and then, with lightning motion, brought the muzzle into line and riddled the German officer.
He turned upon the other Germans, firing and shouting to the other Americans to seize the enemy's weapons. In the ensuing fight, 21 Germans were killed, many wounded, and the remainder captured.
1st Sgt. Funk's bold action and heroic disregard for his own safety were directly responsible for the recapture of a vastly superior enemy force, which, if allowed to remain free, could have taken the widespread units of Company C by surprise and endangered the entire attack plan.
Congressional Medal of Honor
Awarded Posthumously
ARCHER T. GAMMON
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company A, 9th Armored Infantry Battalion, 6th Armored Division.
Place and date: Near Bastogne, Belgium, 11 January 1945.
Entered service at: Roanoke, Virginia.
Born: 11 September 1918, Chatham, Virginia.
G.O. No.: 18, 13 February 1946.
He charged 30 yards through hip-deep snow to knock out a machinegun and its 3-man crew with grenades, saving his platoon from being decimated and allowing it to continue its advance from an open field into some nearby woods. The platoon's advance through the woods had only begun when a machinegun supported by riflemen opened fire and a Tiger Royal tank sent 88mm. shells screaming at the unit from the left flank. S/Sgt. Gammon, disregarding all thoughts of personal safety, rushed forward, then cut to the left, crossing the width of the platoon's skirmish line in an attempt to get within grenade range of the tank and its protecting foot troops. Intense fire was concentrated on him by riflemen and the machinegun emplaced near the tank. He charged the automatic weapon, wiped out its crew of four with grenades, and, with supreme daring, advanced to within 25 yards of the armored vehicle, killing two hostile infantrymen with rifle fire as he moved forward. The tank had started to withdraw, backing a short distance, then firing, backing some more, and then stopping to blast out another round, when the man whose single-handed relentless attack had put the ponderous machine on the defensive was struck and instantly killed by a direct hit from the Tiger Royal's heavy gun. By his intrepidity and extreme devotion to the task of driving the enemy back no matter what the odds, S/Sgt. Gammon cleared the woods of German forces, for the tank continued to withdraw, leaving open the path for the gallant squad leader's platoon.
Congressional Medal of Honor
JAMES R. HENDRIX
Rank and organization: Private, U.S. Army, Company C, 53d Armored Infantry Battalion, 4th Armored Division.
Place and date: Near Assenois, Belgium, 26 December 1944.
Entered service at: Lepanto, Arkansas.
Born: Lepanto, Arkansas.
G.O. No.: 74, 1 September 1945.
On the night of 26 December 1944, near Assenois, Belgium, he was with the leading element engaged in the final thrust to break through to the besieged garrison at Bastogne when halted by a fierce combination of artillery and small arms fire. He dismounted from his half-track and advanced against two 88mm. guns, and, by the ferocity of his rifle fire, compelled the guncrews to take cover and then to surrender. Later in the attack he again left his vehicle, voluntarily, to aid two wounded soldiers, helpless and exposed to intense machinegun fire. Effectively silencing two hostile machineguns, he held off the enemy by his own fire until the wounded men were evacuated. Pvt. Hendrix again distinguished himself when he hastened to the aid of still another soldier who was trapped in a burning half-track. Braving enemy sniper fire and exploding mines and ammunition in the vehicle, he extricated the wounded man and extinguished his flaming clothing, thereby saving the life of his fellow soldier. Pvt. Hendrix, by his superb courage and heroism, exemplified the highest traditions of the military service.
Congressional Medal of Honor
Awarded Posthumously
ISADORE S. JACHMAN
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company B, 513th Parachute Infantry Regiment.
Place and date: Flamierge, Belgium, 4 January 1945.
Entered service at: Baltimore, Maryland.
Born: Berlin, Germany.
G.O. No.: 25, 9 June 1950.
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty at Flamierge, Belgium, on 4 January 1945, when his company was pinned down by enemy artillery, mortar, and small arms fire, two hostile tanks attacked the unit, inflicting heavy casualties.
S/Sgt. Jachman, seeing the desperate plight of his comrades, left his place of cover and with total disregard for his own safety dashed across open ground through a hail of fire and seizing a bazooka from a fallen comrade advanced on the tanks, which concentrated their fire on him. Firing the weapon alone, he damaged one and forced both to retire.
S/Sgt. Jachman's heroic action, in which he suffered fatal wounds, disrupted the entire enemy attack, reflecting the highest credit upon himself and the parachute infantry.
Congressional Medal of Honor
Awarded Posthumously
TRUMAN KIMBRO
Rank and organization: Technician Fourth Grade, U.S. Army, Company C, 2d Engineer Combat Battalion, 2d Infantry Division.
Place and date: Near Rocherath, Belgium, 19 December 1944.
Entered service at: Houston, Texas.
Born: Madisonville, Texas.
G.O. No.: 42, 24 May 1945.
On 19 December 1944, as scout, he led a squad assigned to the mission of mining a vital crossroads near Rocherath, Belgium. At the first attempt to reach the objective, he discovered it was occupied by an enemy tank and at least 20 infantrymen. Driven back by withering fire, Technician 4th Grade Kimbro made two more attempts to lead his squad to the crossroads but all approaches were covered by intense enemy fire. Although warned by our own infantrymen of the great danger involved, he left his squad in a protected place and, laden with mines, crawled alone toward the crossroads. When nearing his objective he was severely wounded, but he continued to drag himself forward and laid his mines across the road. As he tried to crawl from the objective his body was riddled with rifle and machinegun fire. The mines laid by his act of indomitable courage delayed the advance of enemy armor and prevented the rear of our withdrawing columns from being attacked by the enemy.
Congressional Medal of Honor
JOSE M. LOPEZ
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, 23d Infantry, 2d Infantry Division.
Place and date: Near Krinkelt, Belgium, 17 December 1944.
Entered service at: Brownsville, Texas.
Born: Mission, Texas.
G.O. No.: 47, 18 June 1945.
On his own initiative, he carried his heavy machinegun from Company K's right flank to its left, in order to protect that flank which was in danger of being overrun by advancing enemy infantry supported by tanks. Occupying a shallow hole offering no protection above his waist, he cut down a group of 10 Germans. Ignoring enemy fire from an advancing tank, he held his position and cut down 25 more enemy infantry attempting to turn his flank. Glancing to his right, he saw a large number of infantry swarming in from the front. Although dazed and shaken from enemy artillery fire which had crashed into the ground only a few yards away, he realized that his position soon would be outflanked. Again, alone, he carried his machinegun to a position to the right rear of the sector; enemy tanks and infantry were forcing a withdrawal. Blown over backward by the concussion of enemy fire, he immediately reset his gun and continued his fire. Single-handed he held off the German horde until he was satisfied his company had effected its retirement. Again he loaded his gun on his back and in a hail of small arms fire he ran to a point where a few of his comrades were attempting to set up another defense against the onrushing enemy. He fired from this position until his ammunition was exhausted. Still carrying his gun, he fell back with his small group to Krinkelt. Sgt. Lopez's gallantry and intrepidity, on seemingly suicidal missions in which he killed at least 100 of the enemy, were almost solely responsible for allowing Company K to avoid being enveloped, to withdraw successfully and to give other forces coming up in support time to build a line which repelled the enemy drive.
Congressional Medal of Honor
VERNON McGARITY
Rank and organization: Technical Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company L, 393d Infantry, 99th Infantry Division.
Place and date: Near Krinkelt, Belgium, 16 December 1944.
Entered service at: Model, Tennessee.
Born: 1 December 1921, Right, Tennessee.
G.O. No.: 6, 11 January 1946.
T/Sgt. McGarity was painfully wounded in an artillery barrage that preceded the powerful counteroffensive launched by the Germans near Krinkelt, Belgium, on the morning of 16 December 1944. He made his way to an aid station, received treatment, and then refused to be evacuated, choosing to return to his hard-pressed men instead. The fury of the enemy's great Western Front offensive swirled about the position held by T/Sgt. McGarity's small force, but so tenaciously did these men fight on orders to stand firm at all costs that they could not be dislodged despite murderous enemy fire and the breakdown of their communications. During the day the heroic squad leader rescued one of his friends who had been wounded in a forward position, and throughout the night he exhorted his comrades to repulse the enemy's attempts at infiltration. When morning came and the Germans attacked with tanks and infantry, he braved heavy fire to run to an advantageous position where he immobilized the enemy's lead tank with a round from a rocket launcher. Fire from his squad drove the attacking infantrymen back, and three supporting tanks withdrew. He rescued, under heavy fire, another wounded American, and then directed devastating fire on a light cannon which had been brought up by the hostile troops to clear resistance from the area. When ammunition began to run low, T/Sgt. McGarity, remembering an old ammunition hole about 100 yards distant in the general direction of the enemy, braved a concentration of hostile fire to replenish his unit's supply. By circuitous route the enemy managed to emplace a machinegun to the rear and flank of the squad's position, cutting off the only escape route. Unhesitatingly, the gallant soldier took it upon himself to destroy this menace single-handedly. He left cover, and while under steady fire from the enemy, killed or wounded all the hostile gunners with deadly accurate rifle fire and prevented all attempts to reman the gun. Only when the squad's last round had been fired was the enemy able to advance and capture the intrepid leader and his men. The extraordinary bravery and extreme devotion to duty of T/Sgt. McGarity supported a remarkable delaying action which provided the time necessary for assembling reserves and forming a line against which the German striking power was shattered.
Congressional Medal of Honor
Awarded Posthumously
CURTIS F. SHOUP
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company I, 346th Infantry, 87th Infantry Division.
Place and date: Near Tillet, Belgium, 7 January 1945.
Entered service at: Buffalo, New York.
Born: Napenoch, New York.
G.O. No.: 60, 25 July 1945.
On 7 January 1945, near Tillet, Belgium, his company attacked German troops on rising ground. Intense hostile machinegun fire pinned down and threatened to annihilate the American unit in an exposed position where frozen ground made it impossible to dig in for protection. Heavy mortar and artillery fire from enemy batteries was added to the storm of destruction falling on the Americans. Realizing that the machinegun must be silenced at all costs, S/Sgt. Shoup, armed with an automatic rifle, crawled to within 75 yards of the enemy emplacement. He found that his fire was ineffective from this position, and completely disregarding his own safety, stood up and grimly strode ahead into the murderous stream of bullets, firing his low-held weapon as he went. He was hit several times and finally was knocked to the ground. But he struggled to his feet and staggered forward until close enough to hurl a grenade, wiping out the enemy machinegun nest with his dying action. By his heroism, fearless determination, and supreme sacrifice, S/Sgt. Shoup eliminated a hostile weapon which threatened to destroy his company and turned a desperate situation into victory.
Congressional Medal of Honor
WILLIAM A. SODERMAN
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Company K, 9th Infantry, 2d Infantry Division.
Place and date: Near Rocherath, Belgium, 17 December 1944.
Entered service at: West Haven, Connecticut.
Born: West Haven, Connecticut.
G.O. No.: 97, 1 November 1945.
Armed with a bazooka, he defended a key road junction near Rocherath, Belgium, on 17 December 1944, during the German Ardennes counteroffensive. After a heavy artillery barrage had wounded and forced the withdrawal of his assistant, he heard enemy tanks approaching the position where he calmly waited in the gathering darkness of early evening until the 5 Mark V tanks which made up the hostile force were within pointblank range. He then stood up, completely disregarding the firepower that could be brought to bear upon him, and launched a rocket into the lead tank, setting it afire and forcing its crew to abandon it as the other tanks pressed on before Pfc. Soderman could reload. The daring bazookaman remained at his post all night under severe artillery, mortar, and machinegun fire, awaiting the next onslaught, which was made shortly after dawn by 5 more tanks Running along a ditch to meet them, he reached an advantageous point and there leaped to the road in full view of the tank gunners, deliberately aimed his weapon and disabled the lead tank. The other vehicles, thwarted by a deep ditch in their attempt to go around the crippled machine, withdrew. While returning to his post Pfc. Soderman, braving heavy fire to attack an enemy infantry platoon from close range, killed at least three Germans and wounded several others with a round from his bazooka. By this time, enemy pressure had made Company K's position untenable. Orders were issued for withdrawal to an assembly area, where Pfc. Soderman was located when he once more heard enemy tanks approaching. Knowing that elements of the company had not completed their disengaging maneuver and were consequently extremely vulnerable to an armored attack, he hurried from his comparatively safe position to meet the tanks. Once more he disabled the lead tank with a single rocket, his last; but before he could reach cover, machinegun bullets from the tank ripped into his right shoulder. Unarmed and seriously wounded he dragged himself along a ditch to the American lines and was evacuated. Through his unfaltering courage against overwhelming odds, Pfc. Soderman contributed in great measure to the defense of Rocherath, exhibiting to a superlative degree the intrepidity and heroism with which American soldiers met and smashed the savage power of the last great German offensive.
Congressional Medal of Honor
Awarded Posthumously
HORACE M. THORNE
Rank and organization: Corporal, U.S. Army, Troop D, 89th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, 9th Armored Division.
Place and date: Near Grufflingen, Belgium, 21 December 1944.
Entered service at: Keyport, New Jersey.
Birth: Keansburg, New Jersey.
G.O. No.: 80, 19 September 1945.
He was the leader of a combat patrol on 21 December 1944 near Grufflingen, Belgium, with the mission of driving German forces from dug-in positions in a heavily wooded area. As he advanced his light machinegun, a German Mark III tank emerged from the enemy position and was quickly immobilized by fire from American light tanks supporting the patrol.
Two of the enemy tankmen attempted to abandon their vehicle but were killed by Cpl. Thorne's shots before they could jump to the ground. To complete the destruction of the tank and its crew, Cpl. Thorne left his covered position and crept forward alone through intense machinegun fire until close enough to toss two grenades into the tank's open turret, killing two more Germans.
He returned across the same fire-beaten zone as heavy mortar fire began falling in the area, seized his machinegun and, without help, dragged it to the knocked-out tank and set it up on the vehicle's rear deck. He fired short rapid bursts into the enemy positions from his advantageous but exposed location, killing or wounding eight. Two enemy machinegun crews abandoned their positions and retreated in confusion. His gun jammed; but rather than leave his self-chosen post he attempted to clear the stoppage; enemy small-arms fire, concentrated on the tank, killed him instantly.
Cpl. Thorne, displaying heroic initiative and intrepid fighting qualities, inflicted costly casualties on the enemy and insured the success of his patrol's mission by the sacrifice of his life.
Congressional Medal of Honor
Awarded Posthumously
HENRY F. WARNER
Rank and organization: Corporal, U.S. Army, Antitank Company, 2d Battalion, 26th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division.
Place and date: Near Dom Butgenbach, Belgium, 20-21 December 1944.
Entered service at: Troy, North Carolina.
Born: 23 August 1923, Troy, North Carolina.
G.O. No.: 48, 23 June 1945.
Serving as 57-mm. antitank gunner with the 2d Battalion, he was a major factor in stopping enemy tanks during heavy attacks against the battalion position near Dom Butgenbach, Belgium, on 20-21 December 1944. In the first attack, launched in the early morning of the 20th, enemy tanks succeeded in penetrating parts of the line. Cpl. Warner, disregarding the concentrated cannon and machinegun fire from 2 tanks bearing down on him, and ignoring the imminent danger of being overrun by the infantry moving under tank cover, destroyed the first tank and scored a direct and deadly hit upon the second. A third tank approached to within 5 yards of his position while he was attempting to clear a jammed breach lock. Jumping from his gun pit, he engaged in a pistol duel with the tank commander standing in the turret, killing him and forcing the tank to withdraw. Following a day and night during which our forces were subjected to constant shelling, mortar barrages, and numerous unsuccessful infantry attacks, the enemy struck in great force on the early morning of the 21st. Seeing a Mark IV tank looming out of the mist and heading toward his position, Cpl. Warner scored a direct hit. Disregarding his injuries, he endeavored to finish the loading and again fire at the tank whose motor was now aflame, when a second machinegun burst killed him. Cpl. Warner's gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty contributed materially to the successful defense against the enemy attacks.
Congressional Medal of Honor
PAUL J. WIEDORFER
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant (then Private), U.S. Army, Company G, 318th Infantry, 80th Infantry Division.
Place and date: Near, Chaumont, Belgium, 25 December 1944.
Entered service at: Baltimore, Maryland.
Born: Baltimore, Maryland.
G.O. No.: 45, 12 June 1945.
He alone made it possible for his company to advance until its objective was seized. Company G had cleared a wooded area of snipers, and one platoon was advancing across an open clearing toward another wood when it was met by heavy machinegun fire from 2 German positions dug in at the edge of the second wood. These positions were flanked by enemy riflemen. The platoon took cover behind a small ridge approximately 40 yards from the enemy position. There was no other available protection and the entire platoon was pinned down by the German fire. It was about noon and the day was clear, but the terrain extremely difficult due to a 3-inch snowfall the night before over ice-covered ground. Pvt. Wiedorfer, realizing that the platoon advance could not continue until the 2 enemy machinegun nests were destroyed, voluntarily charged alone across the slippery open ground with no protecting cover of any kind. Running in a crouched position, under a hail of enemy fire, he slipped and fell in the snow, but quickly rose and continued forward with the enemy concentrating automatic and small-arms fire on him as he advanced. Miraculously escaping injury, Pvt. Wiedorfer reached a point some 10 yards from the first machinegun emplacement and hurled a handgrenade into it. With his rifle he killed the remaining Germans, and, without hesitation, wheeled to the right and attacked the second emplacement. One of the enemy was wounded by his fire and the other 6 immediately surrendered. This heroic action by one man enabled the platoon to advance from behind its protecting ridge and continue successfully to reach its objective. A few minutes later, when both the platoon leader and the platoon sergeant were wounded, Pvt. Wiedorfer assumed command of the platoon, leading it forward with inspired energy until the mission was accomplished.
Following the Battle of the Bulge, Adolph Hitler returned to his bunker in Berlin, never to again leave it's environs - he would die there a coward, at his own hand, on April 30, 1945 and the war in Europe would end one week later on May 7. It is true that hard fighting continued and raged beyond the Ardennes, leaped the Rhine and raced across Germany to it's denouement, yet everyone knew that the boys of the Bulge had broken the back of the Nazi war machine in the west and that victory was now, not a matter of if, but when.
When I think of those momentous events and the men who made them, I am affectionately drawn to the surrounded boys of Bastogne - the battling bastards of Bastogne, as they called themselves. On December 22, 1944, a small German delegation approached the American lines with a message from the German commander for the American division commander, Gen. Anthony McAuliffe. The message called for the complete and immediate surrender of all American forces surrounded in Bastogne.
To the U.S.A. Commander of the encircled town of Bastogne:
The fortune of war is changing. This time the U.S.A. forces in and near Bastogne have been encircled by strong German armored units. More German armored units have crossed the river Our near Ortheuville, have taken Marche and reached St. Hubert by passing through Hompre-Sibret-Tillet. Libramont is in German hands.
There is only one possibility to save the encircled U.S.A. troops from total annihilation: that is the honorable surrender of the encircled town. In order to think it over a term of two hours will be granted beginning with the presentation of this note.
If this proposal should be rejected one German Artillery Corps and six heavy A. A. Battalions are ready to annihilate the U.S.A. troops in and near Bastogne. The order for firing will be given immediately after this two hours' term.
All the serious civilian losses caused by this artillery fire would not correspond with the well known American humanity.
The German Commander.
The message was brought in to the Division Headquarters by Major Alvin Jones, the S-3, and Colonel Harper, the Regimental Commander. They brought the message to... the G-3 and Paul Danahy, the G-2. Their first reaction was that this was a German ruse, designed to get our men out of their fox holes. But be that as it might, they agreed that they needed to take the message up the line. They took it first to the acting Chief of Staff of the Division, Lt. Col. Ned Moore. With him, they took the message to the acting Division Commander General Tony McAuliffe. Moore told General McAuliffe that they had a German surrender ultimatum. The General's first reaction was that the Germans wanted to surrender to us. Col. Moore quickly disabused him of that notion and explained that the German's demanded our surrender. When McAuliffe heard that he laughed and said: "Us surrender? Aw, nuts!" the date was December 22nd, 1944
It certainly seemed a reasonable request, particulaly to the German forces who were in such an advantageous position. Gen. McAuliffe did not agree, but...
McAuliffe realized that some sort of reply was in order. He pondered for a few minutes and then told the staff, "Well I don't know what to tell them." He then asked the staff what they thought, and someone spoke up, saying, "That first remark of yours would be hard to beat." McAuliffe said, "What do you mean?"
And so, the general sent back a one word response that adequately captured the sentiment of every determined American soldier - the response has sounded a clarion call to all of America's enemies since concerning her freedom son's determination in the face of any and all opposition - may the spirit of the response always be the spirit of the American citizen and soldier when asked to surrender freedom... "To the German commander, 'NUTS!!!... from the American commander." The German delegation did not understand...freedom's enemies never do...
I spoke to an American veteran of the Battle of the Bulge recently, a man who was awarded the purple heart and the silver star for bravery in action - under direct enemy rocket, machine gun, and small arms fire, he, wounded himself, helped to remove a wounded brother in arms from a burning tank and drag him to safety. He very reluctantly told me of this incredible story and he did not credit himself with bravery, deflecting all credit and honor to those he served with - a very humble response, typical of that generation. When he spoke of his part in the greatest battle in the history of the United Sates Army, Capt. Ralph Spinelli said that he had only, like everyone else, simply done his duty when asked. His last words to me during our conversation was of Gen. McAuliffe and "Nuts." He spoke of it, sixty three years after the fact, with wonder and pride and showed me a newspaper clipping recounting the story in a hometown paper his parents had saved and the family had cherished. I saw another clipping among his family heirlooms - one he never mentioned. It was of his wounding and his citations for gallantry in action. I read them quietly and then listened as he finally said, "The men I served with were wonderful men, brave men - real heroes." With an admiration and respect that I cannot describe, all I could do was look at him and cry, cherishing the man, cherishing the moment, cherishing the blessings of God that are such men. May we never forget them...
No comments:
Post a Comment