World War II Honoree
World War II Veteran
Lucian Adams
Branch of Service
U.S. Army
Hometown
Port Arthur, Texas
Honored By
Ralph Bozorth
AWARDED THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR. STAFF SERGEANT, U.S. ARMY, 30TH INFANTRY, 3RD INFANTRY DIVISION. PLACE AND DATE: NEAR ST. DIE, FRANCE, OCTOBER 28, 1944. ENTERED SERVICE AT PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS. GO NUMBER 20, MARCH 29, 1945. CITATION FOR CONSPICUOUS GALLANTRY AND INTREPIDITY AT RISK OF LIFE ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY ON OCTOBER 28, 1944 NEAR ST. DIE, FRANCE. WHEN HIS COMPANY WAS STOPPED IN ITS EFFORT TO DRIVE THROUGH THE MORTAGNE FOREST TO REOPEN THE SUPPLY LINE TO THE ISOLATED THIRD BATTALION, STAFF SERGEANT ADAMS BRAVED THE CONCENTRATED FIRE OF MACHINE GUNS IN A LONE ASSAULT ON A FORCE OF GERMAN TROOPS. ALTHOUGH HIS COMPANY HAD PROGRESSED LESS THAN 10 YARDS AND HAD 3 KILLED AND 6 WOUNDED, HE CHARGED FORWARD DODGING FROM TREE TO TREE FIRING A BORROWED BAR FROM THE HIP. DESPITE INTENSE MACHINE GUN FIRE WHICH THE ENEMY DIRECTED AT HIM AND RIFLE GRENADES WHICH STRUCK THE TREES OVER HIS HEAD SHOWERING HIM WITH BROKEN TWIGS AND BRANCHES, HE MADE HIS WAY TO WITHIN 10 YARDS OF THE CLOSEST MACHINE GUN AND KILLED THE GUNNER WITH A HAND GRENADE. AN ENEMY SOLDIER THREW HAND GRENADES AT HIM FROM A POSITION ONLY 10 YARDS DISTANT, HOWEVER, HE DISPATCHED HIM WITH A SINGLE BURST OF BAR FIRE. CHARGING INTO THE VORTEX OF THE ENEMY FIRE, HE KILLED ANOTHER MACHINE GUNNER AT 15 YARDS RANGE WITH A HAND GRENADE AND FORCED THE SURRENDER OF 2 SUPPORTING INFANTRYMEN. ALTHOUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE GERMAN GROUP CONCENTRATED THE FULL FORCE OF ITS AUTOMATIC WEAPONS FIRE IN A DESPERATE EFFORT TO KNOCK HIM OUT, HE PROCEEDED THROUGH THE WOODS TO FIND AND EXTERMINATE 5 MORE OF THE ENEMY. FINALLY, WHEN THE THIRD GERMAN MACHINE GUN OPENED UP ON HIM AT A RANGE OF 20 YARDS, HE KILLED THE GUNNER WITH BAR FIRE. IN THE COURSE OF THE ACTION, HE PERSONALLY KILLED 9 GERMANS, ELIMINATED 3 ENEMY MACHINE GUNS, VANQUISHED A SPECIALIZED FORCE WHICH WAS ARMED WITH AUTOMATIC WEAPONS AND GRENADE LAUNCHERS, CLEARED THE WOODS OF HOSTILE ELEMENTS AND REOPENED THE SEVERED SUPPLY LINES TO THE ASSAULT COMPANIES OF HIS BATTALION.