World War II Honoree

Herman C. Wallace

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Marlow, Oklahoma

Honored By

Ralph Bozorth

POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDED THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR. PRIVATE FIRST CLASS, U.S. ARMY, COMPANY B, 301ST ENGINEER COMBAT BATTALION, 76TH INFANTRY DIVISION. PLACE AND DATE: NEAR PRUMZURLEY, GERMANY ON FEBRUARY 27, 1945. ENTERED SERVICE AT LUBBOCK, TEXAS. ON OCTOBER 25, 1945 HE WAS AWARDED A CITATION FOR CONSPICUOUS GALLANTRY AND INTREPIDITY WHILE HELPING TO CLEAR ENEMY MINES FROM A ROAD, HE STEPPED ON A WELL-CONCEALED S-TYPE ANTI-PERSONNEL MINE. HEARING THE CHARACTERISTIC NOISE INDICATING THAT THE MINE HAD BEEN ACTIVATED AND, IF HE STEPPED ASIDE, WOULD BE THROWN UPWARD TO EXPLODE ABOVE GROUND AND SPRAY THE AREA WITH FRAGMENTS, SURELY KILLING 2 COMRADES DIRECTLY BEHIND HIM AND ENDANGERING OTHER MEMBERS OF HIS SQUAD, HE DELIBERATELY PLACED HIS OTHER FOOT ON THE MINE EVEN THOUGH HIS BEST CHANCE FOR SURVIVAL WAS TO FALL PRONE. HE WAS KILLED WHEN THE CHARGE DETONATED, BUT HIS SUPREME HEROISM AT THE COST OF HIS LIFE CONFINED THE BLAST TO THE GROUND AND HIS OWN BODY AND SAVED HIS FELLOW SOLDIERS FROM DEATH OR INJURY.