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CITATION FOR THE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS
Private First Class Harold L. Parris, C-Co., 508th P.I.R., 82nd ABN, United
States Army By direction of
the President, The Distinguished Service Cross, is presented to Private
First Class Harold L. Parris, C-Co., 508th P.I.R., 82nd ABN, United States
Army, for extraordinary heroism in combat on 11 June 1944 near Gueutteville,
France. While crossing from enemy territory to friendly lines, Private First
Class Parris, a machine gunner in a parachute infantry regiment, approached
a German sentry and pretended he was a German officer, then quietly killed
the German with his trench knife. He had dropped by parachute deep in
hostile territory on the morning of D-Day, and led seven men, with courage,
skill and consummate daring, for five days through territory covered with
enemy troops, In route, he never hesitated to engage any opposition
encountered and left many Germans dead behind him. When he reached the enemy
main line of resistance it became necessary to eliminate the last obstacle
by deception rather than rifle fire. The heroic leadership and valiant
personal achievements of Private First Class Parris enabled seven comrades
to survive battle, hunger, thirst and fatigue and rejoin their organization.
His conduct was in the highest tradition of our armed forces.
By command of General Eisenhower,
R.B. Lord, BG., GSC, Deputy Chief of Staff (8/8/44) |
