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The edition of the Chillicothe
Gazette, Chillicothe, OH, Friday, August 17, 1945 included an article on
page 12 reporting that Mr. and Mrs.. Walter J. Hess had chosen to receive
their son's Bronze Star Medal by mail rather than attend a formal
presentation ceremony at Fort Hayes, Fletcher General Hospital. The
article then went on to include the medal award citation, as follows:
"For heroic conduct in action against the enemy on Oct 1, 1944 near ***.
Pfc Hess, Headquarters Company, Second Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry,
was a runner assigned to the Commanding Officer, Second Battalion, during a
fierce enemy attack against the Second Battalion's main line of defense near
*** Despite heavy artillery and machine gun fire which swept the
entire area, Pfc Hess acted without hesitation in relaying orders and
instructions from the battalion commander to units within the battalion.
He moved quickly and without delay on three occasions, facilitating
communications between the battalion commander and the battalion light
machine gun platoon leader when artillery fire had destroyed almost all wire
lines within the area. While in the discharge of his duties, Pfc Hess
was killed by artillery fire. His disregard for personal safety and
his intense devotion to duty at a time when an enemy attack seriously
threatened his battalion position enabled him to perform a vital service to
the security of the position and further assisted the battalion commander to
coordinate all units under his command."
Pfc Hess entered the Army on Jan. 22, 1943, volunteered for the
paratroops and arrived overseas in August of that year.
[Jumpmaster note: the HQ 2nd
Bn. Morning Reports indicate the battalion was established in the suburbs of
Nijmegen at the time Pfc Hess was killed. |
