Medal of Honor: Almond E. Fisher, World War II, September 12–13, 1944

Almond E. Fisher

War: World War II
Date of Action: September 12–13, 1944
Unit: Company E, 157th Infantry, 45th Infantry Division
Born: October 28, 1913 – Hume, New York

In the stillness before dawn near Grammont, France, a young platoon of infantry crept toward a heavily fortified German hill position. At their head moved a man of steady courage and iron resolve: Second Lieutenant Almond E. Fisher. The night was black, the path treacherous, and the enemy waiting. Within moments the silence shattered as machineguns erupted less than twenty yards ahead, their tracers lashing the darkness. What happened next turned a simple platoon attack into one of the most astonishing feats of leadership and raw heroism of the Second World War.

Crawling forward alone, Fisher closed to within twenty feet of the nearest nest. His carbine barked, felling the entire gun crew in a blur of fire. Not minutes later, the column was raked from the left flank by another German position. Again Fisher went forward alone, this time with hand grenades, crawling through a maelstrom of bullets. He tossed grenades into the bunker, silencing the gun and leaving its defenders lifeless.

For over an hour, Fisher’s platoon clawed its way up the slope, stopped again and again by nests of enemy fire. Each time, Fisher personally led the attack, his actions breaking the resistance that pinned down his men. When a German attempted to wrest a rifle from one of his soldiers, Fisher turned and killed him instantly with a burst from his carbine. When an open field was swept with heavy machinegun fire, Fisher crossed it without hesitation, closing with the enemy and killing the crew.

At last, with only two grenades remaining in the platoon, Fisher carried one in each hand and crawled directly toward yet another nest across bare ground. Grenades flew true, the position was destroyed, and Fisher ordered his men to dig in against the inevitable counterattack.

Daybreak brought with it the fury of the German counterassault. Machineguns, rifles, and mortars rained down on the small force, striking from every side—even from the rear. Early in the fight, Fisher was hit in both feet by close-range fire. Refusing evacuation, he crawled through the lines, moving from foxhole to foxhole, encouraging his men, correcting fields of fire, and inspiring a defense that held against overwhelming numbers. Only after the enemy had been repelled and his platoon secured did Fisher crawl 300 yards to the aid station, his wounds nearly crippling him.

Through the night and into the day, Fisher’s courage had been the heart of his platoon’s survival. His actions destroyed multiple enemy positions, killed or wounded dozens of Germans, and held ground vital to the success of the 45th Infantry Division’s advance.

Medal of Honor Citation
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty on the night of 12–13 September 1944, near Grammont, France. In the darkness of early morning, 2d Lt. Fisher was leading a platoon of Company E, 157th Infantry, in single column to the attack of a strongly defended hill position. At 2:30 A.M., the forward elements were brought under enemy machinegun fire from a distance of not more than 20 yards. Working his way alone to within 20 feet of the gun emplacement, he opened fire with his carbine and killed the entire guncrew. A few minutes after the advance was resumed, heavy machinegun fire was encountered from the left flank. Again crawling forward alone under withering fire, he blasted the gun and crew from their positions with hand grenades. After a halt to replenish ammunition, the advance was again resumed and continued for 1 hour before being stopped by intense machinegun and rifle fire. Through the courageous and skillful leadership of 2d Lt. Fisher, the pocket of determined enemy resistance was rapidly obliterated. Spotting an emplaced machine pistol a short time later, with 1 of his men he moved forward and destroyed the position. As the advance continued the fire fight became more intense. When a bypassed German climbed from his foxhole and attempted to tear an Ml rifle from the hands of 1 of his men, 2d Lt. Fisher whirled and killed the enemy with a burst from his carbine. About 30 minutes later the platoon came under the heavy fire of machineguns from across an open field. 2d Lt. Fisher, disregarding the terrific fire, moved across the field with no cover or concealment to within range, knocked the gun from the position and killed or wounded the crew. Still under heavy fire he returned to his platoon and continued the advance. Once again heavy fire was encountered from a machinegun directly in front. Calling for hand grenades, he found only 2 remaining in the entire platoon. Pulling the pins and carrying a grenade in each hand, he crawled toward the gun emplacement, moving across areas devoid of cover and under intense fire to within 15 yards when he threw the grenades, demolished the gun and killed the guncrew. With ammunition low and daybreak near, he ordered his men to dig in and hold the ground already won. Under constant fire from the front and from both flanks, he moved among them directing the preparations for the defense. Shortly after the ammunition supply was replenished, the Germans launched a last determined effort against the depleted group. Attacked by superior numbers from the front, right, and left flank, and even from the rear, the platoon, in bitter hand-to-hand engagements drove back the enemy at every point. Wounded in both feet by close-range machine pistol fire early in the battle, 2d Lt. Fisher refused medical attention. Unable to walk, he crawled from man to man encouraging them and checking each position. Only after the fighting had subsided did 2d Lt. Fisher crawl 300 yards to the aid station from which he was evacuated. His extraordinary heroism, magnificent valor, and aggressive determination in the face of pointblank enemy fire is an inspiration to his organization and reflects the finest traditions of the U.S. Armed Forces.