General Orders 1946 - Fort Benning

Sergeant Joseph E. Muller (Army serial No. 32234455), as an acting squad.
leader, Company B, 305th Infantry Regment, Army of the United States, on 15
and 18 May 1945 near Ishimmi, Okinawa, displayed conspicuous gallantry and
intrepidrty above and beyond the call of duty. When his platoon was stopped
by deadly fire from a strongly defended ridge, he directed men to polnts where
they could corer h ~s attack. Then through the vlclous machinegun and automatic
fire, Cmwllng forward alone, he suddenly jumped up, hurlrng hls grenades.
charged the enemy, and drove them into the open, where his squad shot them
down. Seeing enemy survivors about to man a machine gun, firing his tifie at
point-blank range, he hurled himself upon them and killed the remaining four.
Before dawn the next day, the enemy counterattacked fiercely to retake the
position, Sergeant Muller crawled forward through the fiying bullets and explosives,
then, leaping to his feet, hurhng grenades, and firing his rifle, charged
the Japs and routed them. As he moved into his fox hole shared with two other
men, a lone enemy, who had been feigning death, thrcw a grenade. Quickly
Seeing the danger to his companions, Sergeant MuEler threw himself over it and
smothered the blast with h~s body. Sacrilicing his life heroically to save his
comrades. hrgeant Mulkr upheld the highest traditions of the military servloe.
11-.DISTINGUISRED-SERVICE MEDAL-BV direction of the President,
under the pro!'isions of tibe act of Corbgwsu dpprored 9 July >!#I8 (~TJ Hul. 43.
1918). the Distinguished-Scrrice Mmlul fur ~xwptionnllj rueril