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Contact Info
Home Town Clinton, Washington
Last Address Vancouver, Washington
Date of Passing Nov 28, 1979
Location of Interment Willamette National Cemetery (VA) - Portland, Oregon
World War II Congressional Medal of Honor recipient. Served as a First Lieutenant, U.S. Army, 142nd Infantry Regiment, 36th Infantry Division. Near Altavilla, Italy, September 13, 1943, when his company attacked a German position he led his platoon forward on the right flank hill where it got pinned down by a heavy of machinegun and rifle fire. Ordering his men to give covering fire, with 3 hand grenades, he crept and crawled forward to a German machinegun position located in a terrace along the forward slope. Approaching within a few yards of the position, and exposed to enemy fire, he hurled 1 grenade into the nest, destroyed the gun and killed 3 Germans. Discovering a second machinegun 20 yards to the right on a higher terrace, he moved under enemy fire to within a few yards and threw a second grenade into this position, destroying it and killing 2 more Germans. His platoon was then able to advance 150 yards further up the crest of the hill, but was again stopped by enemy mortar fire on the reverse slope. He located the mortar position and worked his way to within 10 yards of its position and threw his third grenade, destroying the mortar, killing 2 of the Germans, and forcing the remaining 3 to flee. His actions permitted the platoon to take its objective.
WWII - Africa Theater of Operations/Tunisia Campaign (1942-43)
From Month/Year
November / 1942
To Month/Year
May / 1943
Description (Tunisia Campaign 17 November 1942 to 13 May 1943) Having gained Algeria, the Allies quickly turned eastward, hoping to take Tunis and Bizerte before the Germans could send reinforcements into Tunisia. But the drive broke down short of the goal. In February 1943, after Rommel had been driven into Tunisia, the Axis took the offensive and pushed through Kasserine Pass before being stopped. With Ninth and Twelfth Air Forces in the battle, the Allies drove the enemy back into a pocket around Bizerte and Tunis, where Axis forces surrendered in May. Thus Tunisia became available for launching an attack on Sicily as a preliminary to an assault on Italy.
