General Orders 1946 - Fort Benning

Gs~aaar OaoE~s
NO. 5
WAR DEPARTMENT
WASHrNoTON 26, D. C., 10 January 1946
]..GENERAL COURTS MARTIAL.-By direction of the President, the com-
manding officer, Army Air Forces Technical Base. Dayton. Ohlo, is empowered,
pursuant to the eighth article oi war, to appoint general courts martial.
[AG 250.401 (18 Dee 45)J
IILMEDAL OF HONOR.-By dirertion of the President, under the provisfons
of the act of Congress apgroved 9 July 1918 (WD Bul. 43, 1918), a Medal of
Honor for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidily st the risk of life above and
beyond the call of duty was awarded by the War Department in the name of
Cougress to the following-named enlisted mau :
&laster Sergeant Vito R. BE,-tddo (Army serial No. 30068158 (then private
first class), Compauy A, 24Zd Infautr~ Regiment, Army of the United States,
fonght with extrern~ gallantry on 9 and 10 January 11145 at Eatten, France, while
guarding two command posts ngainst the assault of powerful infantry and armored
forces which had overrun the battalion's main line of resistance. On the
cluse approach of enemy soldiers, Private Eevtoldo left the protection of the building
he was defending and set up his guc in the street, there to remain for almost
12 hours driving back attacks whilc in full view of his adrerfiaries and completely
exposed to 28~mm nlnchinpgun and small-arms fire. He moved bark inside tlle
command post, strai)ped his machine gun to a table, and covered the main nuproach
to the imiiding by firing througil a window, remnining steadfast even in
tlw face of direct 88-mm lire from tanks only 75 yarlls away. Onc shell blasted
him across the room. bnt he returned to his wengoo. When two enemy wrsonnel
carriers led by n lank moved toward his position, he rnlmiy waited for the troops
tc diFmO"nt and then, with the txnk firing directly at llirn, leaned out of the window
and mowed down. the entire group of more than 20 Germans. Soule time
Inter. removal of the command noat to another buiidiun - was ordered. Private
Cer1o7do voluntarily remained behind, corering tile withdrawal ol his comrades
and maintaining his stand ail night. In the morning, he carried his machine gun
to an adjacent building used as Lhe eummand past of another battalion and b~gan
a day.long defense of lliat position. He broke up a heavy attack launched by a
s~lf-nro~elled . . 8S-mm eun covered bv a tank and about 16 iufantrymen. Soon
hlterward, another 8X-rum weapon mored ug to within a fcw feet of his position,
and, lacing the nlunale of its gun almost inside the buildins, fired into the room,
knockille - him duwrl and seriouslv wounding others. An AmerlcRu bazooka team
~~ -
set the German u-eapon afire, and Private Bertoldo went back to his machine gun,
dnzrd as he was, and killed several of the hostile troops as ther attempted to
witbdrilw. It wne decided to evacuate the eommand post uuder coser of darkness,
but. before the plan muld bo put into apxation. the enemy began an intensive assacit
barmee. and Private Bertoldo remained at his oast and hurled white uhos-
P ~ O ~ Ogrenades P into the advnncing enemy troops until they broke and retreated.
a tank less than 50 yards away fired nt his stronghold, destroyed his machine-gun,
and blew him across the room again: but he on