General Orders 1946 - Fort Benning

ditches half filled \!-itli mter and held that iiue unwaveringly against repented
attacks b~ screaniille Jnpar~ere resigned to death and bent only on causing
th: maximum of hnerican ensunities before they themfelres were killed. Hendquarters
Company line fought without cessation for 10 hours, holding its pusifion
and permitting no enemy elements to penetrate its lines. For the first 6 hours,
Hendwarfera Compnrw was the only obstacle bctnwen the Jap:~nese force and
vital installations fzrtber tu tile south in the vicinity of Flares Point and Tanaxrag
Harbor. By their determined and teneriuus srrrnd in the face of overwhelming
enemy force, they gave the diricion conlmander time to more up reinforcements
for the rouuteratti~ck. Whcn the cnuntrr;ittnckiug forces from the riivision
reserve renebed tbe right flank of its line, Headnuarlers Company took up
thr attack and, within ri~eil. zone of rrcrion, drove the eneruq. back 500 yards before
nightfall. BC actual count, the nunhcr of enemy dead found in the zone of
advance of the eounternttaeking force was 2,126. The greatest density of these
dead wns found in the zone of advance of the neadquarter8 Company, 105th
lnfantr!! Regiment. The offensive and drfensive combat performance of ail
members of this hcndqnal'ters unit wxs aceornpiished in the highest tradition of
the United States Army. By stnnrliog @ff a ~astl. superior enemy farce, the
Iteadouwlers Con%prrn~. - .. 105th Infantw . .~ Rwinmtf. broke the back of the enemy's
final attack md hy countel.nttacking as a part of the division reserve contributed
materially to bringing JnpwnPse resistilncc to au end on Snignn Island. (Genernl
Orders 21, Henrlqunrters 27th Infantry Division, 18 Uarch IWi, as approved by
the Comm~nding General, United States Anu~ Forces. Middle Pacific.)
5. The T881st Engineer loiation DattaTion is cited for extrilordinars heroism
on Leyte, Piriliplline Islands, from 22 October to 7 December 1944. The 1881st
Engineer loiaiion BattaAon lllurlrrl at Leyre, Philillpine Islands, on 22 October
1944, and went to worlr immediately on the Taclohan airdrom~, an which con-
~truction hncl just bccn started hy at? ~nginper canstl'uetinn hattalion. From
thm mltil completion of the airdrome, these two units worked together with
maximum effieiellcr alld hal.mony. Duriug tlle early phases, enemy zir attacks
were almost contiuuaus and a largc portion was directed at the airdrome. Before
a csable strip was available, mvj- rnrrier airplanes were forced to operate
from it because of the loss anti darunge to cjur cnrriers in the bnttle of byte Gulf.
Undcr the.se difficult and dangerous conditions, the lSBlst Enineer Aviation
Ralialian worked with utmost energy and zeal, b$ conrmtmring every effort
on the sivdrome during Ihe inlcrrols between air nltitcks. The men stayed
on the job during alerts until the rnrmg airplnnes were almost urerheud. Twelve
perccnt casualties were snffered by thc uvit during this job. Tllis airdrome was
the first one avnilnblc for land~based airplanes in the Philippines and, from the
moment the minimlun iengrh of steel rnc~ was laid. the air rrnitic .ms tremendous.
Despite ibis heavy lrnnic and stil? frequent air attacks, the strip, dis~ersals, and
other fncilities w1.e repiClp drvrloged by the outstanding work and efficient
planning oi the 18Slst E?iqiwcr dviation DattaHon. (General Ordcrs 266,
Elcadquarters Sixth United Sintes Army, 27 Soyember 1U4j, as approved by rhc
Commander in Chief, United Rates Army Forces, Pacific.)
VIII..MEDAL OF FREEOOM.-By direction of the President, under the pmriswns
of Erecutire Order 95E6, 6 July 1945 (see. IT, \VD Uul. 12, 1945), the
Mcdnl of Freedom for meritorious service which has aided the United States
ic the prosecution of a wa; against an eoemy during the periods ildieated was
nwarded by thc War Drpartmenf lu the following-named individuals:
Rulph Blocl;, .lmericnn civilian, performed exceptionally meritorious services
US general representative, United States Officc of war Information, India, and
AGO 3688B