World War II Honoree

James P. Connor

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Wilmington, Delaware

Honored By

Ralph Bozorth

AWARDED CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR. SERGEANT, U.S. ARMY, 7TH INFANTRY, 3RD INFANTRY DIVISION. PLACE AND DATE: CAPE CAVALAIRE, SOUTHERN FRANCE AUGUST 15, 1944. ENTERED SERVICE AT WILMINGTON, DELAWARE. CITATION FOR CONSPICUOUS GALLANTRY AND INTREPIDITY AT RISK OF LIFE ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY. AUGUST 15, 1944, LED PLATOON IN CLEARING AN ENEMY VASTLY SUPERIOR IN NUMBERS AND FIREPOWER FROM STRONGLY ENTRENCHED POSITIONS ON CAPE CAVALAIRE, REMOVING A GRAVE ENEMY THREAT TO DIVISION DURING THE AMPHIBIOUS LANDING IN SOUTHERN FRANCE AND THEREBY INSURED SAFE AND UNINTERRUPTED LANDINGS FOR THE HUGE VOLUME OF MEN AND MATERIEL WHICH FOLLOWED. BATTLE PATROL LANDED ON 'RED BEACH' WITH THE MISSION OF DESTROYING THE STRONGLY FORTIFIED ENEMY POSITIONS ON CAPE CAVALAIRE WITH UTMOST SPEED. FROM THE PENINSULA THE ENEMY HAD COMMANDING OBSERVATION AND SERIOUSLY MENACED THE VAST LANDING OPERATIONS TAKING PLACE. THOUGH KNOCKED DOWN AND SERIOUSLY WOUNDED IN THE NECK BY A HANGING MINE WHICH KILLED PLATOON LIEUTENANT. REFUSED MEDICAL AID AND WITH DRIVING SPIRIT PRACTICALLY CARRIED THE PLATOON ACROSS SEVERAL THOUSAND YARDS OF MINE-SATURATED BEACH THROUGH INTENSE FIRE FROM MORTARS, 20-MM. FLAK GUNS, MACHINE GUNS AND SNIPERS. EN ROUTE TO THE CAPE, PERSONALLY SHOT AND KILLED 2 SNIPERS. PLATOON SERGEANT WAS KILLED AND HE BECAME PLATOON LEADER. RECEIVED A SECOND WOUND, WHICH LACERATED SHOULDER AND BACK. AGAIN REFUSED EVACUATION, EXPRESSING DETERMINATION TO CARRY ON UNTIL PHYSICALLY UNABLE TO CONTINUE. REASSURED AND PRODDED THE HESITATING MEN OF HIS DECIMATED PLATOON FORWARD THROUGH ALMOST IMPREGNABLE MORTAR CONCENTRATIONS. AGAIN EMPHASIZING THE PREVALENT URGENCY OF THEIR MISSION, IMPELLED MEN TOWARD A GROUP OF BUILDINGS HONEYCOMBED WITH ENEMY SNIPERS AND MACHINE GUNS. RECEIVED A THIRD GRAVE WOUND, THIS TIME IN THE LEG, FELLING HIM IN HIS TRACKS. STILL RESOLVED TO CARRY ON, RELINQUISHED COMMAND ONLY AFTER ATTEMPTS PROVED THAT IT WAS PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO STAND. NEVERTHELESS, FROM HIS PRONE POSITION, GAVE THE ORDERS AND DIRECTED MEN IN ASSAULTING THE ENEMY. INFUSED WITH HIS DOGGED DETERMINATION, THE PLATOON, THOUGH REDUCED TO LESS THAN ONE-THIRD OF ITS ORIGINAL 36 MEN, OUTFLANKED AND RUSHED THE ENEMY WITH SUCH FURIOUS NESS THAT THEY KILLED 7, CAPTURED 40, SEIZED 3 MACHINE GUNS AND CONSIDERABLE OTHER MATERIEL AND TOOK ALL THEIR ASSIGNED OBJECTIVES, SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETING THEIR MISSION. BY HIS REPEATED EXAMPLES OF TENACIOUSNESS AND INDOMITABLE SPIRIT HE TRANSMITTED HIS HEROISM TO HIS MEN UNTIL THEY BECAME A FIGHTING TEAM WHICH COULD NOT BE STOPPED.