World War II Honoree

Van T. Barfoot

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Edinburg, Mississippi

Honored By

Ralph Bozorth

AWARDED THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR. SECOND LIEUTENANT U.S. ARMY, 157TH INFANTRY, 45TH INFANTRY DIVISION. PLACE AND DATE: NEAR CARANO, ITALY, MAY 23, 1944. ENTERED SERVICE AT: CARTHAGE, MISSISSIPPI. BIRTH: EDINBURG, MISSISSIPPI. GO NUMBER 79, OCTOBER 4, 1944. CITATION: FOR CONSPICUOUS GALLANTRY AND INTREPIDITY AT THE RISK OF LIFE ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY ON MAY 23, 1944, NEAR CARANO, ITALY. WITH HIS PLATOON HEAVILY ENGAGED DURING AN ASSAULT AGAINST FORCES WELL ENTRENCHED ON COMMANDING GROUND, HE, THEN A TECHNICAL SERGEANT, MOVED OFF ALONE UPON THE ENEMY LEFT FLANK. HE CRAWLED TO THE PROXIMITY OF 1 MACHINE GUN NEST AND MADE A DIRECT HIT ON IT WITH A HAND GRENADE, KILLING 2 AND WOUNDING 3 GERMANS. HE CONTINUED ALONG THE GERMAN DEFENSE LINE TO ANOTHER MACHINE GUN EMPLACEMENT AND WITH HIS TOMMY GUN KILLED 2 AND CAPTURED 3 SOLDIERS. MEMBERS OF ANOTHER ENEMY MACHINE GUN CREW THEN ABANDONED THEIR POSITION AND GAVE THEMSELVES UP TO HIM, LEAVING THE PRISONERS FOR HIS SUPPORT SQUAD TO PICK UP, HE PROCEEDED TO MOP UP POSITIONS IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA, CAPTURING MORE PRISONERS AND BRINGING HIS TOTAL COUNT TO 17. LATER THAT DAY, AFTER HE HAD REORGANIZED HIS MEN AND CONSOLIDATED THE NEWLY CAPTURED GROUND, THE ENEMY LAUNCHED A FIERCE ARMORED COUNTERATTACK DIRECTLY AT HIS PLATOON POSITIONS. SECURING A BAZOOKA, HE TOOK UP AN EXPOSED POSITION DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF 3 ADVANCING MARK VI TANKS. FROM A DISTANCE OF 75 YARDS HIS FIRST SHOT DESTROYED THE TRACK OF THE LEADING TANK, EFFECTIVELY DISABLING IT, WHILE THE OTHER 2 CHANGED DIRECTION TOWARD THE FLANK. AS THE CREW OF THE DISABLED TANK DISMOUNTED, HE KILLED 3 OF THEM WITH HIS TOMMY GUN. HE CONTINUED ONWARD INTO ENEMY TERRAIN AND DESTROYED A RECENTLY ABANDONED GERMAN FIELDPIECE WITH A DEMOLITION CHARGE PLACED IN THE BREECH. WHILE RETURNING TO HIS PLATOON POSITION, HE, THOUGH GREATLY FATIGUED BY HIS HERCULEAN EFFORTS, ASSISTED 2 OF HIS SERIOUSLY WOUNDED MEN 1,700 YARDS TO A POSITION OF SAFETY. HIS EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM, DEMONSTRATION OF MAGNIFICENT VALOR, AND AGGRESSIVE DETERMINATION IN THE FACE OF POINTBLANK FIRE ARE A PERPETUAL INSPIRATION TO HIS FELLOW SOLDIERS.