World War II Honoree

Forrest E. Peden

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

St. Joseph, Missouri

Honored By

Ralph Bozorth

WAS POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDED THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR. TECHNICIAN 5TH GRADE, U.S. ARMY, BATTERY C, 10TH FIELD ARTILLERY BATTALION, 3RD INFANTRY DIVISION. PLACE AND DATE: NEAR BIESHEIM, FRANCE, FEBRUARY 3, 1945. ENTERED SERVICE AT: WATHENA, KANSAS. GO 18, FEBRUARY 13, 1946. CITATION: 'HE WAS A FORWARD ARTILLERY OBSERVER WHEN THE GROUP OF ABOUT 45 INFANTRYMEN WITH WHOM HE WAS ADVANCING WAS AMBUSHED IN THE UNCERTAIN LIGHT OF A WANING MOON. ENEMY FORCES OUTNUMBERING THE AMERICANS BY 4 TO 1 POURED WITHERING ARTILLERY, MORTAR, MACHINE GUN, AND SMALL ARMS FIRE INTO THE STRICKEN UNIT FROM THE FLANKS, FORCING OUR MEN TO SEEK THE COVER OF A DITCH WHICH THEY FOUND ALREADY OCCUPIED BY ENEMY FOOT TROOPS. AS THE OPPOSING INFANTRYMEN STRUGGLED IN HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT, TECHNICIAN 5TH GRADE PEDEN COURAGEOUSLY WENT TO THE ASSISTANCE OF 2 WOUNDED SOLDIERS AND RENDERED FIRST AID UNDER HEAVY FIRE. WITH RADIO COMMUNICATIONS INOPERATIVE, HE REALIZED THAT THE UNIT WOULD BE WIPED OUT UNLESS HELP COULD BE SECURED FROM THE REAR. ON HIS OWN INITIATIVE, HE RAN 800 YARDS TO THE BATTALION COMMAND POST THROUGH A HAIL OF BULLETS WHICH PIERCED HIS JACKET AND THERE SECURED 2 LIGHT TANKS TO GO TO THE RELIEF OF HIS HARD-PRESSED COMRADES. KNOWING THE TERRIBLE RISK INVOLVED, HE CLIMBED UPON THE HULL OF THE LEAD TANK AND GUIDED IT INTO BATTLE. THROUGH A MURDEROUS CONCENTRATION OF FIRE THE TANK LUMBERED ONWARD, BULLETS AND SHELL FRAGMENTS RICOCHETING FROM ITS STEEL ARMOR WITHIN INCHES OF THE COMPLETELY EXPOSED RIDER, UNTIL IT REACHED THE DITCH. AS IT WAS ABOUT TO GO INTO ACTION IT WAS TURNED INTO A FLAMING PYRE BY A DIRECT HIT WHICH KILLED TECHNICIAN 5TH GRADE PEDEN. HOWEVER, HIS INTREPIDITY AND GALLANT SACRIFICE WAS NOT IN VAIN. ATTRACTED BY THE LIGHT FROM THE BURNING TANK, REINFORCEMENTS FOUND THE BELEAGUERED AMERICANS AND DROVE OFF THE ENEMY.'