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"For Conspicuous
Gallantry and Intrepidity at the Risk of Life Above and Beyond
the Call of Duty"
Captain
SEYMOUR W. TERRY
(Posthumous)
Technical Sergeant
BEAUFORD T. ANDERSON
Private First Class
CLARENCE B. CRAFT
Private First Class
EDWARD J. MOSKALA
(Posthumous)
Private
OVA A. KELLEY
(Posthumous)
The President of the United States
in the name of The Congress takes pleasure in presenting the
Medal of Honor to:
TERRY,
SEYMOUR W.
Rank and Organization: Captain, U.S. Army,
Company B, 382d Infantry, 96th Infantry Division. Place and Date
Zebra Hill, Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands, 11 May 1945. Entered Service
at: Little Rock, Ark. Birth: Little Rock, Ark. G.O. No.: 23,
6 March 1946.
Citation: 1st Lt. Terry was leading an attack against
heavily defended Zebra Hill when devastating fire from 5 pillboxes
halted the advance. He braved the hail of bullets to secure satchel
charges and white phosphorus grenades, and then ran 30 yards
directly at the enemy with an ignited charge to the first stronghold,
demolished it, and moved on to the other pillboxes, bombarding
them with his grenades and calmly cutting down their defenders
with rifle fire as they attempted to escape. When he had finished
this job by sealing the 4 pillboxes with explosives, he had killed
20 Japanese and destroyed 3 machineguns. The advance was again
held up by an intense grenade barrage which inflicted several
casualties. Locating the source of enemy fire in trenches on
the reverse slope of the hill, 1st Lt. Terry, burdened by 6 satchel
charges launched a l-man assault. He wrecked the enemy's defenses
by throwing explosives into their positions and himself accounted
for 10 of the 20 hostile troops killed when his men overran the
area. Pressing forward again toward a nearby ridge, his 2 assault
platoons were stopped by slashing machinegun and mortar fire.
He fearlessly ran across 100 yards of fire-swept terrain to join
the support platoon and urge it on in a flanking maneuver. This
thrust, too, was halted by stubborn resistance. 1st Lt. Terry
began another 1 -man drive, hurling grenades upon the strongly
entrenched defenders until they fled in confusion, leaving 5
dead behind them. Inspired by this bold action, the support platoon
charged the retreating enemy and annihilated them. Soon afterward,
while organizing his company to repulse a possible counterattack,
the gallant company commander was mortally wounded by the burst
of an enemy mortar shell. By his indomitable fighting spirit,
brilliant leadership, and unwavering courage in the face of tremendous
odds, 1st Lt. Terry made possible the accomplishment of his unit's
mission and set an example of heroism in keeping with the highest
traditions of the military service.
The President of the United States
in the name of The Congress takes pleasure in presenting the
Medal of Honor to:
ANDERSON, BEAUFORT
T.
Rank and organization: Technical Sergeant,
U.S. Army, 381st Infantry, 96th Infantry Division. Place and
date: Okinawa, 13 April 1945. Entered service at: Soldiers Grove,
Wis. Birth: Eagle, Wis. G.O. No.: 63, 27 June 1946.
Citation: He displayed conspicuous gallantry and
intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty. When a powerfully
conducted predawn Japanese counterattack struck his unit's flank,
he ordered his men to take cover in an old tomb, and then, armed
only with a carbine, faced the onslaught alone. After emptying
1 magazine at pointblank range into the screaming attackers,
he seized an enemy mortar dud and threw it back among the charging
Japs, killing several as it burst. Securing a box of mortar shells,
he extracted the safety pins, banged the bases upon a rock to
arm them and proceeded alternately to hurl shells and fire his
piece among the fanatical foe, finally forcing them to withdraw.
Despite the protests of his comrades, and bleeding profusely
from a severe shrapnel wound, he made his way to his company
commander to report the action. T/Sgt. Anderson's intrepid conduct
in the face of overwhelming odds accounted for 25 enemy killed
and several machineguns and knee mortars destroyed, thus single-handedly
removing a serious threat to the company's flank.
The President of the United States
in the name of The Congress takes pleasure in presenting the
Medal of Honor to:
CRAFT,
CLARENCE B.
Rank and organization: Private, First Class,
U.S. Army, Company G, 382d Infantry, 96th Infantry Division.
Place and date: Hen Hill, Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands, 31 May 1945.
Entered service at: Santa Ana, Calif. Birth: San Bernardino,
Calif. G.O. No.: 97, 1 November 1945.
Citation: He was a rifleman when his platoon spearheaded
an attack on Hen Hill, the tactical position on which the entire
Naha-Shuri-Yonaburu line of Japanese defense on Okinawa, Ryukyu
Islands, was hinged. For 12 days our forces had been stalled,
and repeated, heavy assaults by 1 battalion and then another
had been thrown back by the enemy with serious casualties. With
5 comrades, Pfc. Craft was dispatched in advance of Company G
to feel out the enemy resistance. The group had proceeded only
a short distance up the slope when rifle and machinegun fire,
coupled with a terrific barrage of grenades, wounded 3 and pinned
down the others. Against odds that appeared suicidal, Pfc. Craft
launched a remarkable 1-man attack. He stood up in full view
of the enemy and began shooting with deadly marksmanship wherever
he saw a hostile movement. He steadily advanced up the hill,
killing Japanese soldiers with rapid fire, driving others to
cover in their strongly disposed trenches, unhesitatingly facing
alone the strength that had previously beaten back attacks in
battalion strength. He reached the crest of the hill, where he
stood silhouetted against the sky while quickly throwing grenades
at extremely short range into the enemy positions. His extraordinary
assault lifted the pressure from his company for the moment,
allowing members of his platoon to comply with his motions to
advance and pass him more grenades. With a chain of his comrades
supplying him while he stood atop the hill, he furiously hurled
a total of 2 cases of grenades into a main trench and other positions
on the reverse slope of Hen Hill, meanwhile directing the aim
of his fellow soldiers who threw grenades from the slope below
him. He left his position, where grenades from both sides were
passing over his head and bursting on either slope, to attack
the main enemy trench as confusion and panic seized the defenders.
Straddling the excavation, he pumped rifle fire into the Japanese
at pointblank range, killing many and causing the others to flee
down the trench. Pursuing them, he came upon a heavy machinegun
which was still creating havoc in the American ranks. With rifle
fire and a grenade he wiped out this position. By this time the
Japanese were in complete rout and American forces were swarming
over the hill. Pfc. Craft continued down the central trench to
the mouth of a cave where many of the enemy had taken cover.
A satchel charge was brought to him, and he tossed it into the
cave. It failed to explode. With great daring, the intrepid fighter
retrieved the charge from the cave, relighted the fuse and threw
it back, sealing up the Japs in a tomb. In the local action,
against tremendously superior forces heavily armed with rifles,
machineguns, mortars, and grenades, Pfc. Craft killed at least
25 of the enemy; but his contribution to the campaign on Okinawa
was of much more far-reaching consequence for Hen Hill was the
key to the entire defense line, which rapidly crumbled after
his utterly fearless and heroic attack.
The President of the United States
in the name of The Congress takes pleasure in presenting the
Medal of Honor to:
MOSKALA, EDWARD
J.
Rank and Organization: Private First Class,
U.S. Army, Company C, 383d Infantry, 96th Infantry Division.
Place and Date Kakazu Ridge, Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands, 9 April
1945. Entered Service at: Chicago, Ill. Born: 6 November 1921,
Chicago, Ill. G.O. No.: 21, 26 February 1946.
Citation: He was the leading element when grenade
explosions and concentrated machinegun and mortar fire halted
the unit's attack on Kakazu Ridge, Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands. With
utter disregard for his personal safety, he charged 40 yards
through withering, grazing fire and wiped out 2 machinegun nests
with well-aimed grenades and deadly accurate fire from his automatic
rifle. When strong counterattacks and fierce enemy resistance
from other positions forced his company to withdraw, he voluntarily
remained behind with 8 others to cover the maneuver. Fighting
from a critically dangerous position for 3 hours, he killed more
than 25 Japanese before following his surviving companions through
screening smoke down the face of the ridge to a gorge where it
was discovered that one of the group had been left behind, wounded.
Unhesitatingly, Pvt. Moskala climbed the bullet-swept slope to
assist in the rescue, and, returning to lower ground, volunteered
to protect other wounded while the bulk of the troops quickly
took up more favorable positions. He had saved another casualty
and killed 4 enemy infiltrators when he was struck and mortally
wounded himself while aiding still another disabled soldier.
With gallant initiative, unfaltering courage, and heroic determination
to destroy the enemy, Pvt. Moskala gave his life in his complete
devotion to his company's mission and his comrades' well-being.
His intrepid conduct provided a lasting inspiration for those
with whom he served.
The President of the United States
in the name of The Congress takes pleasure in presenting the
Medal of Honor to:
KELLEY,
OVA A.
Rank and organization: Private, U.S. Army,
Company A, 382d Infantry, 96th Infantry Division.Place and date:
Leyte, Philippine Islands, 8 December 1944. Entered service at:
Norwood, Mo. Birth: Norwood, Mo. G.O. No.: 89 19 October 1945.
Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity
at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Before
dawn, near the edge of the enemy-held Buri airstrip, the company
was immobilized by heavy, accurate rifle and machinegun fire
from hostile troops entrenched in bomb craters and a ditch less
than 100 yards distant. The company commander ordered a mortar
concentration which destroyed 1 machinegun but failed to dislodge
the main body of the enemy. At this critical moment Pvt. Kelley,
on his own initiative, left his shallow foxhole with an armload
of hand grenades and began a 1-man assault on the foe. Throwing
his missiles with great accuracy, he moved forward, killed or
wounded 5 men, and forced the remainder to flee in a disorganized
route. He picked up a M-1 rifle and emptied its clip at the running
Japanese, killing 3. Discarding this weapon, he took a carbine
and killed 3 more of the enemy. Inspired by his example, his
comrades followed him in a charge which destroyed the entire
enemy force of 34 enlisted men and 2 officers and captured 2
heavy and 1 light machineguns. Pvt. Kelley continued to press
the attack on to an airstrip, where sniper fire wounded him so
grievously that he died 2 days later. His outstanding courage,
aggressiveness, and initiative in the face of grave danger was
an inspiration to his entire company and led to the success of
the attack.
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