World War II Honoree

Ernest W. Prussman

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Baltimore, Maryland

Honored By

Ralph Bozorth

HE WAS POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDED THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR. PRIVATE FIRST CLASS, U.S. ARMY, 13TH INFANTRY, 8TH INFANTRY DIVISION. PLACE AND DATE: NEAR LES COATES, BRITTANY, FRANCE, SEPTEMBER 8, 1944. ENTERED AT BRIGHTON, MASSACHUSETTS. GO 31, APRIL 17, 1945. CITATION FOR CONSPICUOUS GALLANTRY AND INTREPIDITY AT RISK OF LIFE ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY SEPTEMBER 8, 1944, NEAR LES COATES, BRITTANY, FRANCE. WHEN THE ADVANCE OF THE FLANK COMPANIES OF 2 BATTALIONS WAS HALTED BY INTENSE ENEMY MORTAR, MACHINE GUN AND SNIPER FIRE FROM A FORTIFIED POSITION ON HIS LEFT, HE MANEUVERED HIS SQUAD TO ASSAULT THE ENEMY FORTIFICATIONS. HURDLING A HEDGEROW, HE CAME UPON 2 ENEMY RIFLEMEN WHOM HE DISARMED. AFTER LEADING HIS SQUAD ACROSS AN OPEN FIELD TO THE NEXT HEDGEROW, HE ADVANCED TO A MACHINE GUN POSITION, DESTROYED THE GUN, CAPTURED ITS CREW AND 2 RIFLEMEN. AGAIN ADVANCING AHEAD OF HIS SQUAD IN THE ASSAULT, HE WAS MORTALLY WOUNDED BY AN ENEMY RIFLEMAN, BUT AS HE FELL TO THE GROUND HE THREW A HAND GRENADE, KILLING HIS OPPONENT. HIS SUPERB LEADERSHIP AND HEROIC ACTION AT THE COST OF HIS LIFE SO DEMORALIZED THE ENEMY THAT RESISTANCE AT THIS POINT COLLAPSED, PERMITTING THE 2 BATTALIONS TO CONTINUE THEIR ADVANCE.