World War II Honoree

Roy W. Harmon

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Talala, Oklahoma

Honored By

Ralph Bozorth

POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDED CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR. SERGEANT, U.S. ARMY, COMPANY C, 362D INFANTRY, 91ST INFANTRY DIVISION. PLACE AND DATE: NEAR CASAGLIA, ITALY JULY 12, 1944. ENTERED SERVICE AT PIXLEY, CALIFORNIA OCTOBER 2, 1945. CITATION: ACTING SQUAD LEADER WHEN HEAVY MACHINE GUN FIRE FROM ENEMY POSITIONS, WELL DUG IN ON COMMANDING GROUND AND CAMOUFLAGED BY HAYSTACKS, STOPPED COMPANY'S ADVANCE AND PINNED DOWN 1 PLATOON WHERE IT WAS EXPOSED TO ALMOST CERTAIN ANNIHILATION. ORDERED TO RESCUE THE BELEAGUERED PLATOON BY NEUTRALIZING THE GERMAN AUTOMATIC FIRE, LED SQUAD FORWARD ALONG A DRAW TO THE RIGHT OF THE TRAPPED UNIT AGAINST 3 KEY POSITIONS WHICH POURED MURDEROUS FIRE INTO HIS HELPLESS COMRADES. WHEN WITHIN RANGE, SQUAD FIRED TRACER BULLETS IN AN ATTEMPT TO SET FIRE TO THE 3 HAYSTACKS WHICH WERE STRUNG OUT IN A LOOSE LINE DIRECTLY TO THE FRONT, 75, 150 AND 250 YARDS AWAY. REALIZING THAT THIS ATTACK WAS INEFFECTIVE, ORDERED HIS SQUAD TO HOLD THEIR POSITION AND VOLUNTARILY BEGAN A ONE-MAN ASSAULT. CARRYING WHITE PHOSPHORUS GRENADES AND A SUBMACHINE GUN, HE SKILLFULLY TOOK ADVANTAGE OF WHAT LITTLE COVER THE TERRAIN AFFORDED AND CREPT TO WITHIN 25 YARDS OF THE FIRST POSITION. SET THE HAYSTACK AFIRE WITH A GRENADE AND WHEN 2 OF THE ENEMY ATTEMPTED TO FLEE FROM THE INFERNO, HE KILLED THEM WITH SUBMACHINE GUN. CRAWLING TOWARD THE SECOND MACHINE GUN EMPLACEMENT, ATTRACTED FIRE AND WAS WOUNDED, BUT CONTINUED TO ADVANCE AND DESTROYED THE POSITION WITH HAND GRENADES, KILLING THE OCCUPANTS. THEN ATTACKED THE THIRD MACHINE GUN, RUNNING TO A SMALL KNOLL, THEN CRAWLING OVER GROUND WHICH OFFERED NO CONCEALMENT OR COVER. ABOUT HALFWAY TO HIS OBJECTIVE, AGAIN WOUNDED. BUT HE STRUGGLED AHEAD UNTIL WITHIN 20 YARDS OF THE MACHINE GUN NEST, WHERE HE RAISED HIMSELF TO HIS KNEES TO THROW A GRENADE. KNOCKED DOWN BY DIRECT ENEMY FIRE. WITH A FINAL, MAGNIFICENT EFFORT, AGAIN AROSE, HURLED THE GRENADE AND FELL DEAD, RIDDLED BY BULLETS. MISSILE FIRED THE THIRD POSITION, DESTROYING IT. EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM, GALLANTRY AND SELF-SACRIFICE SAVED A PLATOON FROM BEING WIPED OUT AND MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR HIS COMPANY TO ADVANCE AGAINST POWERFUL ENEMY RESISTANCE.