General Orders 1946 - Fort Benning

of his clothing and glanced off his helmet. He threw his last grenade into the
machinegun nest and stumbled on to Wipe out the crew. He had completed this
self-nppoiuted task when a machine pistol burst killed him Instantly. In his
spectacular one-man atta*, Private Idelre71 killed li Germans in the first machine
gun emplacement, 7 in the next, and an additional 10 infantrymen who were
astride his path to the weapons which would have decimated hi unit had he not
assumed the burden of the assault, and stormed the enemy positions with utter
fearlessness, iutrepidity of tho highest order, and a williogness to sacrifice his
own life so that his comrades could go on to victory.
Private First Class Edzeard J. Xou!mla (Army serial No. 36015463), was wilh
the leading element of Company C, 383d Infantry Regiment, Army of the United
States, on 9 April 1045, when grenade esplosions and concentrated machine-gun
and mortar fire halted the nnit's attack on Kaknzu Ridge, Okinawa, Ryukyu
Islands. With utter disregard for his personal safety, he charged 40 yards
through withering, grazing fire and wiped out two machine-gun nests with weilaimed
grenades and deadly accurate fire from his automatic rifle. When strong
counterattacks and fierce enemy resistance from other positions forced his company
to withdraw, he voluntarily remained behind with eight others to cover
the maneuver. Righting from a critienlly dangerous position for 3 hours, he
killed more than 25 Japanese before following his surviving eompanions thsouglr
screening smoke down the face of the ridge to a gorge where It was diacovered
that one of the group had been left bchind, wounded. Unhcsitalingly, Pri\-ate
Moskala climbed the hullet-swept slope to assist in the rescue and, returning to
lower ground, volunteered to protect other wounded while the bulk of the troops
qulelrly took up more favorable positions. He had saved another casualty
and killed four enemy infiltrators when he was struck and mortally wo~mded
himself while aiding still another disnbled soldier. With gallant initiative, unfnltering
courage, and heroic determination to destroy the enemy, Private Moalcala
gave his life in his complete devotion to his company's mission and his comrades'
well-being. His intrcpid conduct grovided a lasting inspiralion for thosewith
whom he served.
Private First Class l+"deriek 0. Idarp71v (Army serial No. 314'6845). an aid
man with Cam~any E, 259th Infantry Regiment, Army of the Unitcd States, was
wounded in the right - shoulder soon after his comrades had imnued off in a dawn
attack, 18 March 1945, against the Sicxfried Line rtt Saarlautern, Germany. IIe
refused to withdraw for treatment arid continued forward, ndmimisteriuf first aid
under heavy machine-gun, mortar, and artillery fire. When the company ran
into a thiclils sewn antipersonnel mine field and began to suffer more and more
casualties. he coutinued to dirrcaard - his own wound and unhesitatimlv -. braved
the danger of exploding mines, moving about through heavy fire and helping the
injured until he stepped on a mine which eevered one of his feet. Dcspitr his
gricvous wounds, he struggled on with his work, rcfusing to be evacuated and
crawling from man to mall administering to the,+ while in great gain and blccding
profusely. He was killed by the blast of another mine which he had dr:igged
himself across in an effort to rcaeh still another casualty. With indomitable
courage, un~uenchahle spirit of self-sacrifice, and sugreme deroliou to duty which
made It possible for him to contimie performing his tasks while barely able to
move, Privateizrrphy saved many of his fcllow soldiers at the cost of his arrn life.
Private First Class Walter 0. Tetnel (Army serial No. 38122664), an acling
squad lender with the Antitank Company, 13th Infantry Regiment, Army of the
United States, was guarding his platoon's command post in n house at Rirken,
Germany, during the early rnmning hours of 3 April 1945 whcn he delecled
AGO aioin