World War II Medal of Honor Recipients (P-T)

PAIGE, MITCHELL


*PARLE, JOHN JOSEPH


*PARRISH, LAVERNE


*PEASE, HARL, JR. (Air Mission)


*PEDEN, FORREST E.


*PENDLETON, JACK J.


*PEREGORY, FRANK D.


*PEREZ, MANUEL, JR.


*PETERS, GEORGE J.


*PETERSON, GEORGE


*PETERSON, OSCAR VERNER


*PETRARCA, FRANK J.


PHARRIS, JACKSON CHARLES


*PHELPS, WESLEY


*PHILLIPS, GEORGE


PIERCE, FRANCIS JUNIOR


*PINDER, JOHN J., JR.


POPE, EVERETT PARKER


*POWER, JOHN VINCENT


*POWERS, JOHN JAMES


POWERS, LEO J.


PRESTON, ARTHUR MURRAY


*PRUSSMAN, ERNEST W.


*PUCKET, DONALD D. (Air Mission)


RAMAGE, LAWSON PATERSON


*RAY, BERNARD J.


*REESE, JAMES W.


*REESE, JOHN N., JR.


*REEVES, THOMAS JAMES


*RICKETTS, MILTON ERNEST


*RIORDAN, PAUL F.


*ROAN, CHARLES HOWARD


*ROBINSON, JAMES E., JR.


RODRIGUEZ, CLETO


*ROEDER, ROBERT E.


*ROOKS, ALBERT HAROLD


*ROOSEVELT, THEODORE, JR.


ROSS, DONALD KIRBY


ROSS, WILBURN K.


ROUH, CARLTON ROBERT


RUDOLPH, DONALD E.


*RUHL, DONALD JACK


RUIZ, ALEJANDRO R. RENTERIA


*SADOWSKI, JOSEPH J.


*SARNOSKI, JOSEPH R. (Air Mission)


*SAYERS, FOSTER J.


SCHAEFER, JOSEPH E.


SCHAUER, HENRY


SCHONLAND, HERBERT EMERY


*SCHWAB, ALBERT EARNEST


*SCOTT, NORMAN


*SCOTT, ROBERT R .


SCOTT, ROBERT S.


SHEA, CHARLES W.


*SHERIDAN, CARL V.


*SHOCKLEY, WILLIAM R.


SHOMO, WILLIAM A. (Air Mission)


*SHOUP, CURTIS F


SHOUP, DAVID MONROE


SIGLER, FRANKLIN EARL


SILK, EDWARD A.


SJOGREN, JOHN C.


SKAGGS, LUTHER, JR.


SLATON, JAMES D.


*SMITH, FURMAN L.


SMITH, JOHN LUCIAN


SMITH, MAYNARD H. (Air Mission)


SODERMAN, WILLIAM A.


SORENSON, RICHARD KEITH


*SPECKER, JOE C.


SPURRIER, JUNIOR J.


*SQUIRES, JOHN C .


*STEIN, TONY


STREET, GEORGE LEVICK, III


*STRYKER, STUART S.


SWETT, JAMES ELMS


*TERRY, SEYMOUR W.


*THOMAS, HERBERT JOSEPH


*THOMAS, WILLIAM H.


*THOMASON, CLYDE


THOMPSON, MAX


*THORNE, HORACE M.


*THORSON, JOHN F.


*TIMMERMAN, GRANT FREDERICK


*TOMICH, PETER


TOMINAC, JOHN J .


*TOWLE, JOHN R.


TREADWELL, JACK L.


*TRUEMPER, WALTER E. (Air Mission)


Rank and organization Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army Air Corps. 510th Bomber Squadron, 351st Bomber Group.

  • Place and date: Over Europe, 20 February 1944.
  • Entered service at: Aurora, Ill.
  • Birth: 31 October 1918, Aurora, Ill.
  • G.O. No.: 52, 22 June 1944.
  • Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy in connection with a bombing mission over enemy-occupied Europe on 20 February 1944. The aircraft on which 2d Lt. Truemper was serving as navigator was attacked by a squadron of enemy fighters with the result that the copilot was killed outright, the pilot wounded and rendered unconscious, the radio operator wounded and the plane severely damaged Nevertheless, 2d Lt. Truemper and other members of the crew managed to right the plane and fly it back to their home station, where they contacted the control tower and reported the situation. 2d Lt. Truemper and the engineer volunteered to attempt to land the plane. Other members of the crew were ordered to jump, leaving 2d Lt. Truemper and the engineer aboard. After observing the distressed aircraft from another plane, 2d Lt. Truemper's commanding officer decided the damaged plane could not be landed by the inexperienced crew and ordered them to abandon it and parachute to safety. Demonstrating unsurpassed courage and heroism, 2d Lt. Truemper and the engineer replied that the pilot was still alive but could not be moved and that they would not desert him. They were then told to attempt a landing. After 2 unsuccessful efforts their plane crashed into an open field in a third attempt to land. 2d Lt. Truemper, the engineer, and the wounded pilot were killed.


    *TURNER, DAY G.

    • Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company B, 319th Infantry, 80th Infantry Division.
    • Place and date: At Dahl, Luxembourg, 8 January 1945.
    • Entered service at: Nescopek, Pa.
    • Birth: Berwick, Pa.
    • G.O. No.: 49, 28 June 1945.
    • Citation: He commanded a 9-man squad with the mission of holding a critical flank position. When overwhelming numbers of the enemy attacked under cover of withering artillery, mortar, and rocket fire, he withdrew his squad into a nearby house, determined to defend it to the last man. The enemy attacked again and again and were repulsed with heavy losses. Supported by direct tank fire, they finally gained entrance, but the intrepid sergeant refused to surrender although 5 of his men were wounded and 1 was killed. He boldly flung a can of flaming oil at the first wave of attackers, dispersing them, and fought doggedly from room to room, closing with the enemy in fierce hand-to-hand encounters. He hurled handgrenade for handgrenade, bayoneted 2 fanatical Germans who rushed a doorway he was defending and fought on with the enemy's weapons when his own ammunition was expended. The savage fight raged for 4 hours, and finally, when only 3 men of the defending squad were left unwounded, the enemy surrendered. Twenty-five prisoners were taken, 11 enemy dead and a great number of wounded were counted. Sgt. Turner's valiant stand will live on as a constant inspiration to his comrades His heroic, inspiring leadership, his determination and courageous devotion to duty exemplify the highest tradition of the military service .


    TURNER, GEORGE B.

    • Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Battery C, 499th Armored Field Artillery Battalion, 14th Armored Division.
    • Place and date: Philippsbourg, France, 3 January 1945.
    • Entered service at: Los Angeles, Calif.
    • Birth: 27 June 1899, Longview, Tex.
    • G.O. No.: 79, 14 September 1945.
    • Citation: At Phillippsbourg, France, he was cut off from his artillery unit by an enemy armored infantry attack. Coming upon a friendly infantry company withdrawing under the vicious onslaught, he noticed 2 German tanks and approximately 75 supporting foot soldiers advancing down the main street of the village. Seizing a rocket launcher, he advanced under intense small-arms and cannon fire to meet the tanks and, standing in the middle of the road, fired at them, destroying 1 and disabling the second. From a nearby half-track he then dismounted a machinegun, placed it in the open street and fired into the enemy infantrymen, killing or wounding a great number and breaking up the attack. In the American counterattack which followed, 2 supporting tanks were disabled by an enemy antitank gun. Firing a light machinegun from the hip, Pfc. Turner held off the enemy so that the crews of the disabled vehicles could extricate themselves. He ran through a hail of fire to one of the tanks which had burst into flames and attempted to rescue a man who had been unable to escape; but an explosion of the tank's ammunition frustrated his effort and wounded him painfully. Refusing to be evacuated, he remained with the infantry until the following day, driving off an enemy patrol with serious casualties, assisting in capturing a hostile strong point, and voluntarily and fearlessly driving a truck through heavy enemy fire to deliver wounded men to the rear aid station. The great courage displayed by Pfc. Turner and his magnificently heroic initiative contributed materially to the defense of the French town and inspired the troops about him.