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SGT ROBERT B. WHITE
BRONZE STAR MEDAL RECOMMENDATION


(Courtesy Rex Combs collection)

HEADQUARTERS; 508TH PARACHUTE INFANTRY
APO 230, U.S. ARMY
CITATION WORK SHEET
a. Robert B. White, 15337117, Sgt. Inf, U.S. Army
b.  For Heroic Conduct
c.  30 Oct 1944     d.  2 mi. from Bemmel, Holland
e.  Sgt White, sqd ldr, Co. "A" 508 Prcht. Inf.
f.  Volunteered to go into enemy territory on a daylight recon.  After penetrating into enemy lines, this man endeavored to take an enemy SS man as prisoner.  Failing in this, the enemy was killed, and in the ensuing attack upon an officer and two men of this patrol, Sgt White prevented the enemy [from] using their machine gun by firing three rounds into the piece, damaging it [to] such an extent that it would not function, and killing one of the gunners.
   Upon seeing his officer patrol leader ear the verge of unconsciousness and bleeding from the mouth and nose, due to enemy concussion grenades, he refused to withdraw without the patrol leader, even though ordered to do so. 

After an advance into enemy territory this patrol was ambushed by the enemy, and  was receiving fire, at very short range, of many automatic weapons and rifles.  Though completely surrounded, Pvt Schmalz voluntarily crawled through the ring of enemy, to friendly troops, organized them and drove the enemy off, enabling the two officers and two men to withdraw to safety.

His action undoubtedly saved the life of the patrol leader, and was of great value in returning with a vast amount of information concerning the no. + kind of enemy troops and their position.
 
 
k. St. Albans, W. Va.
  LEGEND a.  Name, Rank, ASN
b.  Award Phrase
c.  When?
d. Where?
e.  Position, Unit & Orgn
f.   What?
g.  Why?
h. How?
i..  Status?
j.  Result?
k.  Hometown?
 
  NOTES: Jeff Combs, son of Rex Combs, wrote the following when he supplied the citation image to us:

"The officer referred to in this document is my father. Sgt's White & Kinman & my father were on a three man patrol in a canal and were spotted by the Germans, one of them threw a grenade just in front of my father and it knocked him senseless.  Sgt. White told me years ago that at the edge of the canal was a stone wall which, as he looked over the wall, he came face to face with a German soldier. He quickly ducked back down.  He had my father's Thompson and as the German stuck his head back up over the wall again, he emptied a magazine into his head and he said, 'It took his head clean off.'"

CONCLUSION:  Sgt White received the Bronze Star Medal based on this recommendation

   

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