World War II Honoree

Keith L. Ware

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Denver, Colorado

Honored By

Ralph Bozorth

HE WAS AWARDED THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR. LIEUTENANT COLONEL, U.S. ARMY, 1ST BATTALION, 15TH INFANTRY, 3RD INFANTRY DIVISION. PLACE AND DATE NEAR SIGOLSHEIM, FRANCE ON DECEMBER 26, 1944. ENTERED SERVICE AT GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA GO NUMBER 47, ON JUNE 18, 1945. CITATION AWARDED FOR COMMANDING THE 1ST BATTALION, ATTACKED A STRONGLY HELD ENEMY POSITION ON A HILL NEAR SIGOLSHEIM, FRANCE, ON DECEMBER 26, 1944. FOUND THAT 1 OF HIS ASSAULT COMPANIES HAD BEEN STOPPED AND FORCED TO DIG IN BY A CONCENTRATION OF ENEMY ARTILLERY, MORTAR, AND MACHINE GUN FIRE. THE COMPANY HAD SUFFERED CASUALTIES IN AN ATTEMPT TO TAKE THE HILL. REALIZING THAT HIS MEN MUST BE INSPIRED TO NEW COURAGE, LIEUTENANT COLONEL WARE WENT FORWARD 150 YARDS BEYOND THE MOST FORWARD ELEMENTS OF HIS COMMAND, AND FOR 2 HOURS RECONNOITERED THE ENEMY POSITIONS, DELIBERATELY DRAWING FIRE UPON HIMSELF WHICH CAUSED THE ENEMY TO DISCLOSE HIS DISPOSITIONS. RETURNING TO HIS COMPANY, HE ARMED HIMSELF WITH AN AUTOMATIC RIFLE AND BOLDLY ADVANCED UPON THE ENEMY, FOLLOWED BY 2 OFFICERS, 9 ENLISTED MEN, AND A TANK. APPROACHING AN ENEMY MACHINE GUN, LIEUTENANT COLONEL WARE SHOT 2 GERMAN RIFLEMEN AND FIRED TRACERS INTO THE EMPLACEMENT, INDICATING ITS POSITION TO HIS TANK, WHICH PROMPTLY KNOCKED THE GUN OUT OF ACTION. LIEUTENANT COLONEL WARE TURNED HIS ATTENTION TO A SECOND MACHINE GUN, KILLED 2 OF ITS SUPPORTING RIFLEMEN AND FORCED THE OTHERS TO SURRENDER. THE TANK DESTROYED THE GUN. HAVING EXPENDED THE AMMUNITION FOR THE AUTOMATIC RIFLE, LIEUTENANT COLONEL WARE TOOK UP AN ML RIFLE, KILLED A GERMAN RIFLEMAN, AND FIRED UPON A THIRD MACHINE GUN 50 YARDS AWAY. HIS TANK SILENCED THE GUN. UPON HIS APPROACH TO A FOURTH MACHINE GUN, ITS SUPPORTING RIFLEMEN SURRENDERED AND HIS TANK DISPOSED OF THE GUN. DURING THIS ACTION LIEUTENANT COLONEL WARE'S SMALL ASSAULT GROUP WAS FULLY ENGAGED IN ATTACKING ENEMY POSITIONS THAT WERE NOT RECEIVING HIS DIRECT AND PERSONAL ATTENTION. FIVE OF HIS PARTY OF 11 WERE CASUALTIES, AND LIEUTENANT COLONEL WARE WAS WOUNDED BUT REFUSED MEDICAL ATTENTION UNTIL THIS IMPORTANT HILL POSITION WAS CLEARED OF THE ENEMY, AND SECURELY OCCUPIED BY HIS COMMAND.