World War II Honoree

Stephen R. Gregg

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Bayonne, New Jersey

Honored By

Ralph Bozorth

HE WAS AWARDED THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR. SECOND LIEUTENANT, U.S. ARMY, 143RD INFANTRY, 36TH INFANTRY DIVISION. PLACE AND DATE: NEAR MONTELIMAR, FRANCE ON AUGUST 27, 1944. ENTERED SERVICE AT: BAYONNE, NEW JERSEY. BIRTH: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK. GO NUMBER 31, APRIL 17, 1945. CITATION: 'FOR CONSPICUOUS GALLANTRY AND INTREPIDITY AT RISK OF LIFE ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY ON AUGUST 27, 1944 IN THE VICINITY OF MONTELIMAR, FRANCE. AS HIS PLATOON ADVANCED UPON THE ENEMY POSITIONS, THE LEADING SCOUT WAS FIRED UPON AND 2ND LIEUTENANT GREGG (THEN A TECHNICAL SERGEANT) IMMEDIATELY PUT HIS MACHINE GUNS INTO ACTION TO COVER THE ADVANCE OF THE RIFLEMEN. THE GERMANS, WHO WERE AT CLOSE RANGE, THREW HAND GRENADES AT THE RIFLEMEN, KILLING SOME AND WOUNDING 7. EACH TIME A MEDICAL AID MAN ATTEMPTED TO REACH THE WOUNDED, THE GERMANS FIRED AT HIM. REALIZING THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE SITUATION, 2ND LIEUTENANT GREGG TOOK 1 OF THE LIGHT .30 CALIBER MACHINE GUNS AND FIRING FROM THE HIP, STARTED BOLDLY UP THE HILL WITH THE MEDICAL AID MAN FOLLOWING HIM. ALTHOUGH THE ENEMY WAS THROWING HAND GRENADES AT HIM, 2ND LIEUTENANT GREGG REMAINED AND FIRED INTO THE ENEMY POSITIONS WHILE THE MEDICAL AID MAN REMOVED THE 7 WOUNDED MEN TO SAFETY. WHEN 2ND LIEUTENANT GREGG HAD EXPENDED ALL HIS AMMUNITION, HE WAS COVERED BY 4 GERMANS WHO ORDERED HIM TO SURRENDER. SINCE THE ATTENTION OF MOST OF THE GERMANS HAD BEEN DIVERTED BY WATCHING THIS ACTION, FRIENDLY RIFLEMEN WERE ABLE TO MANEUVER INTO FIRING POSITIONS. ONE, SEEING 2ND LIEUTENANT GREGG'S SITUATION, OPENED FIRE ON HIS CAPTORS. THE 4 GERMANS HIT THE GROUND AND THEREUPON 2ND LIEUTENANT GREGG RECOVERED A MACHINE PISTOL FROM ONE OF THE GERMANS AND MANAGED TO ESCAPE TO HIS OTHER MACHINE GUN POSITIONS. HE MANNED A GUN, FIRING AT HIS CAPTORS, KILLED 1 OF THEM AND WOUNDED THE OTHER. THIS ACTION SO DISCOURAGED THE GERMANS THAT THE PLATOON WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE ITS ADVANCE UP THE HILL TO ACHIEVE ITS OBJECTIVE. THE FOLLOWING MORNING, JUST PRIOR TO DAYBREAK, THE GERMANS LAUNCHED A STRONG ATTACK, SUPPORTED BY TANKS, IN AN ATTEMPT TO DRIVE COMPANY L FROM THE HILL. AS THESE TANKS MOVED ALONG THE VALLEY AND THEIR FOOT TROOPS ADVANCED UP THE HILL, 2ND LIEUTENANT GREGG IMMEDIATELY ORDERED HIS MORTARS INTO ACTION. DURING THE DAY, BY CAREFUL OBSERVATION, HE WAS ABLE TO DIRECT EFFECTIVE FIRE ON THE ENEMY, INFLICTING HEAVY CASUALTIES. BY LATE AFTERNOON HE HAD DIRECTED 600 ROUNDS WHEN HIS COMMUNICATION TO THE MORTARS WAS KNOCKED OUT. WITHOUT HESITATION HE STARTED CHECKING HIS WIRES, ALTHOUGH THE AREA WAS UNDER HEAVY ENEMY SMALL ARMS AND ARTILLERY FIRE. WHEN HE WAS WITHIN 100 YARDS OF HIS MORTAR POSITION, 1 OF HIS MEN INFORMED HIM THAT THE SECTION HAD BEEN CAPTURED AND THE GERMANS WERE USING THE MORTARS TO FIRE ON THE COMPANY. 2ND LIEUTENANT GREGG WITH THIS MAN AND ANOTHER NEARBY RIFLEMAN STARTED FOR THE GUN POSITION WHERE HE COULD SEE 5 GERMANS FIRING HIS MORTARS. HE ORDERED THE 2 MEN TO COVER HIM, CRAWLED UP, THREW A HAND GRENADE INTO THE POSITION, AND THEN CHARGED IT. THE HAND GRENADE KILLED 1, INJURED 2 AND 2ND LIEUTENANT GREGG TOOK THE OTHER 2 PRISONERS AND PUT HIS MORTARS BACK INTO ACTION'.