Childers, Ernest L., LTC

Medal of Honor

Awarded for actions during the World War II

The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Second Lieutenant Ernest "Chief" Childers, United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty in action on 22 September 1943, at Oliveto, Italy, while serving with Company C, 180th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division.

Although Second Lieutenant Childers previously had just suffered a fractured instep he, with eight enlisted men, advanced up a hill toward enemy machinegun nests. The group advanced to a rock wall overlooking a cornfield and Second Lieutenant Childers ordered a base of fire laid across the field so that he could advance. When he was fired upon by two enemy snipers from a nearby house he killed both of them. He moved behind the machinegun nests and killed all occupants of the nearer one. He continued toward the second one and threw rocks into it. When the two occupants of the nest raised up, he shot one. The other was killed by one of the eight enlisted men. Second Lieutenant Childers continued his advance toward a house farther up the hill, and single-handed, captured an enemy mortar observer.

The exceptional leadership, initiative, calmness under fire, and conspicuous gallantry displayed by Second Lieutenant Childers were an inspiration to his men.

General Orders: War Department, General Orders No. 30 (April 8, 1944) Action Date: 22-Sep-43
Service: Army
Rank: Second Lieutenant
Company: Company C
Regiment: 180th Infantry Regiment
Division: 45th Infantry Division

See Notes


Lt. Colonel Childers was of the Muskogee (Creek) Nation from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.