World War II Honoree

Archer T. Gammon

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Chatham, Virginia

Honored By

Ralph Bozorth

POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDED THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR. STAFF SERGEANT, U.S. ARMY, COMPANY A, 9TH ARMORED INFANTRY BATTALION, 6TH ARMORED DIVISION. PLACE AND DATE: NEAR BASTOGNE, BELGIUM, JANUARY 11, 1945. ENTERED SERVICE AT: ROANOKE, VIRGINIA FEBRUARY 13, 1946. CITATION: HE CHARGED 30 YARDS THROUGH HIP-DEEP SNOW TO KNOCK OUT A MACHINE GUN AND ITS 3-MAN CREW WITH GRENADES, SAVING HIS PLATOON FROM BEING DECIMATED AND ALLOWING IT TO CONTINUE ITS ADVANCE FROM AN OPEN FIELD INTO SOME NEARBY WOODS. THE PLATOON'S ADVANCE THROUGH THE WOODS HAD ONLY BEGUN WHEN A MACHINE GUN SUPPORTED BY RIFLEMEN OPENED FIRE AND A TIGER ROYAL TANK SENT 88MM. SHELLS SCREAMING AT THE UNIT FROM THE LEFT FLANK. DISREGARDING PERSONAL SAFETY, RUSHED FORWARD, THEN CUT TO THE LEFT, CROSSING THE WIDTH OF THE PLATOON'S SKIRMISH LINE IN AN ATTEMPT TO GET WITHIN GRENADE RANGE OF THE TANK AND ITS PROTECTING FOOT TROOPS. INTENSE FIRE WAS CONCENTRATED ON HIM BY RIFLEMEN AND THE MACHINE GUN EMPLACEMENT NEAR THE TANK. HE CHARGED THE AUTOMATIC WEAPON, WIPED OUT ITS CREW OF 4 WITH GRENADES AND ADVANCED TO WITHIN 25 YARDS OF THE ARMORED VEHICLE, KILLING 2 HOSTILE INFANTRYMEN WITH RIFLE FIRE AS HE MOVED FORWARD. BY HIS INTREPIDITY AND EXTREME DEVOTION TO THE TASK OF DRIVING THE ENEMY BACK NO MATTER WHAT THE ODDS, HE CLEARED THE WOODS OF GERMAN FORCES.