Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, 135th Infantry, 34th Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Anzio, Italy, 23 May 1944. Entered service at: Boston, Mass. Born: 9 January 1921, Stoneham, Mass. G.O. No.: 24, 6 April 1945.
Citation... For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life
above and beyond the call of duty. Attacking across flat, open terrain
under direct enemy observation, S/Sgt. Hall's company was pinned down by
grazing fire from 3 enemy machineguns and harassing sniper fire. S/Sgt.
Hall volunteered to eliminate these obstacles in the path of advance.
Crawling along a plowed furrow through furious machinegun fire, he made
his way to a point within hand grenade range of 1 of the enemy
positions. He pounded the enemy with 4 hand grenades, and when the smoke
had died away, S/Sgt. Hall and 2 dead Germans occupied the position,
while 4 of the enemy were crawling back to our lines as prisoners. |
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Discovering a quantity of German potato-masher grenades in the position, S/Sgt. Hall engaged the second enemy nest in a deadly exchange of grenades. Each time he exposed himself to throw a grenade the Germans fired machinegun bursts at him. The vicious duel finally ended in S/Sgt. Hall's favor with 5 of the enemy surrendered and 5 others lay dead. Turning his attention to the third machinegun, S/Sgt. Hall left his position and crawled along a furrow, the enemy firing frantically in an effort to halt him. As he neared his final objective, an enemy artillery concentration fell on the area, and S/Sgt. Hall's right leg was severed by a shellburst. With 2 enemy machineguns eliminated, his company was able to flank the third and continue its advance without incurring excessive casualties. S/Sgt. Hall's fearlessness, his determined fighting spirit, and his prodigious combat skill exemplify the heroic tradition of the American Infantryman. | |
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