World War II Honoree

Homer L. Wise

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Honored By

Ralph Bozorth

AWARDED CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR. STAFF SERGEANT. U.S. ARMY, COMPANY L, 142ND INFANTRY, 36TH INFANTRY DIVISION. PLACE AND DATE: MAGLIANO, ITALY, JUNE 14, 1944. ENTERED SERVICE AT BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA. DECEMBER 8, 1944 CITATION: WHILE PLATOON WAS PINNED DOWN BY ENEMY SMALL-ARMS FIRE FROM BOTH FLANKS, LEFT HIS POSITION OF COMPARATIVE SAFETY AND ASSISTED IN CARRYING 1 OF HIS MEN WHO HAD BEEN SERIOUSLY WOUNDED AND WHO LAY IN AN EXPOSED POSITION, TO A POINT WHERE HE COULD RECEIVE MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE ADVANCE OF THE PLATOON WAS RESUMED BUT WAS AGAIN STOPPED BY ENEMY FRONTAL FIRE. A GERMAN OFFICER AND 2 ENLISTED MEN, ARMED WITH AUTOMATIC WEAPONS, THREATENED THE RIGHT FLANK. FEARLESSLY EXPOSING HIMSELF, MOVED TO A POSITION FROM WHICH HE KILLED ALL 3 WITH HIS SUB-MACHINE GUN. RETURNING TO HIS SQUAD, OBTAINED AN M1 RIFLE AND SEVERAL ANTI-TANK GRENADES, THEN TOOK UP A POSITION FROM WHICH HE DELIVERED ACCURATE FIRE ON THE ENEMY HOLDING UP THE ADVANCE. AS THE BATTALION MOVED FORWARD IT WAS AGAIN STOPPED BY ENEMY FRONTAL AND FLANKING FIRE. PROCURED AN AUTOMATIC RIFLE AND ADVANCING AHEAD OF HIS MEN, NEUTRALIZED ENEMY MACHINE GUN WITH FIRE. WHEN THE FLANKING FIRE BECAME MORE INTENSE HE RAN TO A NEARBY TANK AND EXPOSED HIMSELF ON THE TURRET, RESTORED A JAMMED MACHINE GUN TO OPERATING EFFICIENCY AND USED IT SO EFFECTIVELY THAT THE ENEMY FIRE FROM AN ADJACENT RIDGE WAS MATERIALLY REDUCED THUS PERMITTING THE BATTALION TO OCCUPY ITS OBJECTIVE.