World War II Honoree

Clinton M. Hedrick

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Cherrygrove, West Virginia

Honored By

Ralph Bozorth

POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDED THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR. TECHNICAL SERGEANT, U.S. ARMY, COMPANY I, 194TH GLIDER INFANTRY, 17TH AIRBORNE DIVISION. KILLED IN ACTION NEAR LEMBECK, GERMANY, MARCH 27-28, 1945. ENTERED SERVICE AT RIVERTON, WEST VIRGINIA OCTOBER 19, 1945. CITATION: DISPLAYED EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM AND GALLANTRY IN ACTION MARCH 27-28, 1945 IN GERMANY FOLLOWING AN AIRBORNE LANDING NEAR WESEL. UNIT WAS ASSIGNED AS THE ASSAULT PLATOON FOR THE ASSAULT ON LEMBECK. THREE TIMES THE LANDING ELEMENTS WERE PINNED DOWN BY INTENSE AUTOMATIC WEAPONS FIRE FROM STRONGLY DEFENDED POSITIONS. EACH TIME, FEARLESSLY CHARGED THROUGH HEAVY FIRE, SHOOTING HIS AUTOMATIC RIFLE FROM HIS HIP, HIS COURAGEOUS ACTION SO INSPIRED HIS MEN THAT THEY REDUCED THE ENEMY POSITIONS IN RAPID SUCCESSION. WHEN 6 OF THE ENEMY ATTEMPTED A SURPRISE, FLANKING MOVEMENT, HE QUICKLY TURNED AND KILLED THE ENTIRE PARTY WITH A BURST OF FIRE. LATER, THE ENEMY WITHDREW ACROSS A MOAT INTO LEMBECK CASTLE. WITH UTTER DISREGARD FOR HIS OWN SAFETY HE PLUNGED ACROSS THE DRAWBRIDGE ALONE IN PURSUIT. WHEN A GERMAN SOLDIER, WITH HANDS UPRAISED, DECLARED THE GARRISON WISHED TO SURRENDER, HE ENTERED THE CASTLE YARD WITH 4 OF HIS MEN TO ACCEPT THE CAPITULATION. THE GROUP MOVED THROUGH A SALLY PORT AND WAS MET BY FIRE FROM A GERMAN SELF-PROPELLED GUN. ALTHOUGH MORTALLY WOUNDED HE FIRED AT THE ENEMY GUN AND COVERED THE WITHDRAWAL OF HIS COMRADES. DIED WHILE BEING EVACUATED AFTER THE CASTLE WAS TAKEN. HIS GREAT PERSONAL COURAGE AND HEROIC LEADERSHIP CONTRIBUTED IN LARGE MEASURE TO THE SPEEDY CAPTURE OF LEMBECK AND PROVIDED AN INSPIRING EXAMPLE TO HIS COMRADES.