World War II Honoree

Thomas W. Fowler

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Wichita Falls, Texas

Honored By

Ralph Bozorth

POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDED THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR. SECOND LIEUTENANT IN THE U.S. ARMY, 1ST ARMORED DIVISION. PLACE AND DATE: NEAR CARANO, ITALY, MAY 23, 1944. ENTERED SERVICE AT: WICHITA FALLS, TEXAS. OCTOBER 28, 1944. CITATION: FOR CONSPICUOUS GALLANTRY AND INTREPIDITY AT RISK OF LIFE ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY ON MAY 23, 1944, IN THE VICINITY OF CARANO, ITALY. IN THE MIDST OF A FULL-SCALE ARMORED INFANTRY ATTACK, WHILE ON FOOT CAME UPON 2 COMPLETELY DISORGANIZED INFANTRY PLATOONS HELD UP IN THEIR ADVANCE BY AN ENEMY MINEFIELD. ALTHOUGH A TANK OFFICER, HE IMMEDIATELY REORGANIZED THE INFANTRY. HE THEN MADE A PERSONAL RECONNAISSANCE THROUGH THE MINEFIELD CLEARING A PATH AS HE WENT BY LIFTING THE ANTI-PERSONNEL MINES OUT OF THE GROUND WITH HIS HANDS. AFTER HE HAD GONE THROUGH THE 75-YARD BELT OF DEADLY EXPLOSIVES, HE RETURNED TO THE INFANTRY AND LED THEM THROUGH THE MINEFIELD A SQUAD AT A TIME. AS THEY DEPLOYED, HE MADE A RECONNAISSANCE INTO ENEMY TERRITORY IN SEARCH OF A ROUTE TO CONTINUE THE ADVANCE. HE THEN RETURNED THROUGH THE MINEFIELD AND ON FOOT, HE LED THE TANKS THROUGH THE MINES INTO A POSITION FROM WHICH THEY COULD BEST SUPPORT THE INFANTRY. ACTING AS SCOUT 300 YARDS IN FRONT OF THE INFANTRY HE LED THE 2 PLATOONS FORWARD UNTIL HE HAD GAINED HIS OBJECTIVE, WHERE HE CAME UPON SEVERAL DUG-IN ENEMY INFANTRYMEN. HAVING TAKEN THEM BY SURPRISE HE DRAGGED THEM OUT OF THEIR FOXHOLES AND SENT THEM TO THE REAR; TWICE WHEN THEY RESISTED HE THREW HAND GRENADES INTO THEIR DUGOUTS. REALIZING THAT A DANGEROUS GAP EXISTED BETWEEN HIS COMPANY AND THE UNIT TO HIS RIGHT HE DECIDED TO CONTINUE HIS ADVANCE UNTIL THE GAP WAS FILLED. HE RECONNOITERED TO HIS FRONT, BROUGHT THE INFANTRY INTO POSITION WHERE THEY DUG IN AND UNDER HEAVY MORTAR AND SMALL ARMS FIRE, BROUGHT HIS TANKS FORWARD. A FEW MINUTES LATER, THE ENEMY BEGAN AN ARMORED COUNTERATTACK. SEVERAL TANKS FIRED THEIR CANNONS DIRECTLY ON HIS POSITION. ONE OF HIS TANKS WAS SET AFIRE. WITH UTTER DISREGARD FOR HIS OWN LIFE, WITH SHELLS BURSTING NEAR HIM, HE RAN DIRECTLY INTO THE ENEMY TANK FIRE TO REACH THE BURNING VEHICLE. FOR A HALF-HOUR, UNDER INTENSE STRAFING FROM THE ADVANCING TANKS, ALTHOUGH ALL OTHER ELEMENTS HAD WITHDRAWN, HE REMAINED IN HIS FORWARD POSITION, ATTEMPTING TO SAVE THE LIVES OF THE WOUNDED TANK CREW. ONLY WHEN THE ENEMY TANKS HAD ALMOST OVERRUN HIM, DID HE WITHDRAW A SHORT DISTANCE WHERE HE PERSONALLY RENDERED FIRST AID TO 9 WOUNDED INFANTRYMEN IN THE MIDST OF THE RELENTLESS INCOMING FIRE. HIS COURAGE, ABILITY TO ESTIMATE THE SITUATION AND TO RECOGNIZE HIS FULL RESPONSIBILITY AS AN OFFICER IN THE ARMY OF THE U.S. EXEMPLIFY THE HIGH TRADITIONS OF THE MILITARY SERVICE FOR WHICH HE LATER GAVE HIS LIFE.