World War II Honoree

Mitchell Paige

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Charleroi, Pennsylvania

Honored By

Ralph Bozorth

HE WAS AWARDED THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR. PLATOON SERGEANT, U.S. MARINE CORPS. PLACE AND DATE: SOLOMON ISLANDS, OCTOBER 26, 1942. ENTERED SERVICE AT: PENNSYLVANIA. BORN: AUGUST 31, 1918, CHARLEROI, PENNSYLVANIA. CITATION: 'FOR EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM AND CONSPICUOUS GALLANTRY IN ACTION ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY WHILE SERVING WITH A COMPANY OF MARINES IN COMBAT AGAINST ENEMY JAPANESE FORCES IN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS ON OCTOBER 26, 1942. WHEN THE ENEMY BROKE THROUGH THE LINE DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF HIS POSITION, PLATOON SERGEANT PAIGE, COMMANDING A MACHINE GUN SECTION WITH FEARLESS DETERMINATION, CONTINUED TO DIRECT THE FIRE OF HIS GUNNERS UNTIL ALL HIS MEN WERE EITHER KILLED OR WOUNDED. ALONE, AGAINST THE DEADLY HAIL OF JAPANESE SHELLS, HE FOUGHT WITH HIS GUN AND WHEN IT WAS DESTROYED, TOOK OVER ANOTHER, MOVING FROM GUN TO GUN, NEVER CEASING HIS WITHERING FIRE AGAINST THE ADVANCING HORDES UNTIL REINFORCEMENTS FINALLY ARRIVED. THEN, FORMING A NEW LINE, HE DAUNTLESSLY AND AGGRESSIVELY LED A BAYONET CHARGE, DRIVING THE ENEMY BACK AND PREVENTING A BREAKTHROUGH IN OUR LINES. HIS GREAT PERSONAL VALOR AND UNYIELDING DEVOTION TO DUTY WERE IN KEEPING WITH THE HIGHEST TRADITIONS OF THE U.S. NAVAL SERVICE'.