World War II Honoree

Harold H. Moon, Jr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Honored By

Ralph Bozorth

PRIVATE, U.S. ARMY, COMPANY G, 34TH INFANTRY, 24TH INFANTRY DIVISION. POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDED THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR. KILLED IN ACTION AT PAWIG, LEYTE, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS OCTOBER 21, 1944. ENTERED SERVICE AT GARDENA, CALIFORNIA GO 104, NOVEMBER 15, 1945. CITATION: 'FOUGHT WITH CONSPICUOUS GALLANTRY AND INTREPIDITY WHEN POWERFUL JAPANESE COUNTERBLOWS WERE BEING STRUCK IN A DESPERATE EFFORT TO ANNIHILATE A NEWLY WON BEACHHEAD. IN A FORWARD POSITION, ARMED WITH A SUB-MACHINE GUN, HE MET THE BRUNT OF A STRONG, WELL-SUPPORTED NIGHT ATTACK WHICH QUICKLY ENVELOPED HIS PLATOON'S FLANKS. MANY MEN IN NEARBY POSITIONS WERE KILLED OR INJURED. PRIVATE MOON WAS WOUNDED AS HIS FOXHOLE BECAME THE IMMEDIATE OBJECT OF A CONCENTRATION OF MORTAR AND MACHINE GUN FIRE. HE MAINTAINED HIS STAND AND POURED DEADLY FIRE INTO THE ENEMY. HE DARINGLY EXPOSED HIMSELF TO HOSTILE FIRE TIME AFTER TIME TO EXHORT AND INSPIRE WHAT AMERICAN TROOPS WERE LEFT IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA. A JAPANESE OFFICER, COVERED BY MACHINE GUN FIRE AND HIDDEN BY AN EMBANKMENT, ATTEMPTED TO KNOCK OUT HIS POSITION WITH GRENADES, BUT PRIVATE MOON, AFTER PROTRACTED AND SKILLFUL MANEUVERING, KILLED HIM. WHEN THE ENEMY ADVANCED A LIGHT MACHINE GUN TO WITHIN 20 YARDS OF THE SHATTERED PERIMETER AND FIRED WITH TELLING EFFECTS ON THE REMNANTS OF THE PLATOON, HE STOOD UP TO LOCATE THE GUN AND REMAINED EXPOSED WHILE CALLING BACK RANGE CORRECTIONS TO FRIENDLY MORTARS WHICH KNOCKED OUT THE WEAPON. A LITTLE LATER HE KILLED 2 JAPANESE AS THEY CHARGED AN AID MAN. BY DAWN HIS POSITION, THE FOCAL POINT OF THE ATTACK FOR MORE THAN 4 HOURS, WAS VIRTUALLY SURROUNDED. IN AN EFFORT TO REDUCE IT AND KILL ITS DEFENDER, AN ENTIRE PLATOON CHARGED WITH FIXED BAYONETS. FIRING FROM A SITTING POSITION, PRIVATE MOON CALMLY EMPTIED HIS MAGAZINE INTO THE ADVANCING HORDE, KILLING 18 AND REPULSING THE ATTACK. IN A FINAL DISPLAY OF BRAVERY, HE STOOD UP TO THROW A GRENADE AT A MACHINE GUN WHICH HAD OPENED FIRE ON THE RIGHT FLANK. HE WAS HIT AND INSTANTLY KILLED IN ACTION, FALLING IN THE POSITION FROM WHICH HE HAD NOT BEEN DRIVEN BY THE FIERCEST ENEMY ACTION. NEARLY 200 DEAD JAPANESE WERE FOUND WITHIN 100 YARDS OF HIS FOXHOLE. THE CONTINUED TENACITY, COMBAT SAGACITY AND MAGNIFICENT HEROISM WITH WHICH PRIVATE MOON FOUGHT ON AGAINST OVERWHELMING ODDS CONTRIBUTED IN A LARGE MEASURE TO BREAKING UP A POWERFUL ENEMY THREAT AND DID MUCH TO INSURE OUR INITIAL SUCCESSES DURING A MOST IMPORTANT OPERATION.'