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On the 26-27th
December, 1944 near the town of Erria, Belgium, I was squad leader of G
Company.
I was a member of a
group which was dug in at the bottom of a ridge about 200 yards from the
enemy, when they attacked in force and succeeded in overrunning several of
the forward positions.
A concentrated
volume of machine gun fire sprayed my position.
I noted that 12 men
on forward outposts had been cut off.
Seizing a browning
automatic rifle (BAR) I advanced through heavy fire and worked my way to
the group who was cut off.
During my advance,
I knocked out a German MG-42 machine gun nest with a Gammon grenade and
inflicted severe causalities upon the enemy with my BAR.
I reached the 12
men and led them back to the platoon positions from which they were able
to place heavy fire upon the attacking enemy, forcing them back with heavy
losses.
For that piece of
action, I was awarded the Silver Star. |
