Medal of Honor: Clarence B. Craft - World War II - May 31, 1945

Name: Clarence B. Craft
Rank: Private First Class
Branch: U.S. Army
War: World War II
Unit: Company G, 382nd Infantry Regiment, 96th Infantry Division
Date of Action: May 31, 1945
Location: Hen Hill, Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands

Summary of Action

On 31 May 1945, Private First Class Clarence B. Craft displayed extraordinary heroism during the bitter fighting for Hen Hill on Okinawa.

Hen Hill occupied a critical position in the Japanese Naha-Shuri-Yonabaru defensive line. For twelve days, repeated assaults by American battalions had been thrown back with heavy casualties. The hill had become one of the strongest points in the enemy defense network.

As Company G prepared to attack, Craft and five other soldiers were sent forward to probe the enemy positions.

Almost immediately, the patrol was met by intense rifle fire, machine-gun fire, and a barrage of grenades. Three of the men were wounded and the remainder pinned down.

Rather than seek cover, Craft rose to his feet in full view of the enemy and launched a one-man assault.

Advancing steadily uphill through murderous fire, he engaged every enemy position he could identify, killing Japanese soldiers with rapid and accurate rifle fire while forcing others to keep their heads down.

Alone, he pressed forward against defenses that had previously repelled attacks by entire battalions.

Reaching the crest of Hen Hill, Craft stood silhouetted against the skyline and began hurling grenades into Japanese trenches at point-blank range.

His audacious attack disrupted the enemy defense long enough for his platoon to move forward and support him.

Using a chain of soldiers to pass grenades uphill, Craft hurled two entire cases of grenades into enemy trenches and strongpoints while directing the fire of the men below him.

As confusion spread through the Japanese defenses, he charged directly into the main trench system.

Straddling the trench, he fired point-blank into the defenders, killing many and driving the survivors into retreat.

Continuing the pursuit, Craft encountered a heavy machine-gun position that was still inflicting casualties on American troops. He destroyed the position with rifle fire and grenades.

By this point, the Japanese defense had collapsed and American forces surged over the hill.

Still pressing forward, Craft reached a cave where many enemy soldiers had taken refuge. Given a satchel charge, he tossed it inside, but it failed to explode.

Without hesitation, he retrieved the unexploded charge from the cave, relit the fuse, and threw it back into the opening, sealing the cave and eliminating the threat.

During the action, Craft personally killed at least twenty-five enemy soldiers. More importantly, his fearless assault broke the defense of Hen Hill, a key position in the Japanese line. The fall of the hill helped trigger the rapid collapse of the surrounding defenses and contributed significantly to the Allied advance on Okinawa.

Medal of Honor Citation

CRAFT, CLARENCE B.

He was a rifleman when his platoon spearheaded an attack on Hen Hill, the tactical position on which the entire Naha-Shuri-Yonaburu line of Japanese defense on Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands, was hinged. For 12 days our forces had been stalled, and repeated, heavy assaults by 1 battalion and then another had been thrown back by the enemy with serious casualties. With 5 comrades, Pfc. Craft was dispatched in advance of Company G to feel out the enemy resistance. The group had proceeded only a short distance up the slope when rifle and machinegun fire, coupled with a terrific barrage of grenades, wounded 3 and pinned down the others. Against odds that appeared suicidal, Pfc. Craft launched a remarkable 1-man attack. He stood up in full view of the enemy and began shooting with deadly marksmanship wherever he saw a hostile movement. He steadily advanced up the hill, killing Japanese soldiers with rapid fire, driving others to cover in their strongly disposed trenches, unhesitatingly facing alone the strength that had previously beaten back attacks in battalion strength. He reached the crest of the hill, where he stood silhouetted against the sky while quickly throwing grenades at extremely short range into the enemy positions. His extraordinary assault lifted the pressure from his company for the moment, allowing members of his platoon to comply with his motions to advance and pass him more grenades. With a chain of his comrades supplying him while he stood atop the hill, he furiously hurled a total of 2 cases of grenades into a main trench and other positions on the reverse slope of Hen Hill, meanwhile directing the aim of his fellow soldiers who threw grenades from the slope below him. He left his position, where grenades from both sides were passing over his head and bursting on either slope, to attack the main enemy trench as confusion and panic seized the defenders. Straddling the excavation, he pumped rifle fire into the Japanese at pointblank range, killing many and causing the others to flee down the trench. Pursuing them, he came upon a heavy machinegun which was still creating havoc in the American ranks. With rifle fire and a grenade he wiped out this position. By this time the Japanese were in complete rout and American forces were swarming over the hill. Pfc. Craft continued down the central trench to the mouth of a cave where many of the enemy had taken cover. A satchel charge was brought to him, and he tossed it into the cave. It failed to explode. With great daring, the intrepid fighter retrieved the charge from the cave, relighted the fuse and threw it back, sealing up the Japs in a tomb. In the local action, against tremendously superior forces heavily armed with rifles, machineguns, mortars, and grenades, Pfc. Craft killed at least 25 of the enemy; but his contribution to the campaign on Okinawa was of much more far-reaching consequence for Hen Hill was the key to the entire defense line, which rapidly crumbled after his utterly fearless and heroic attack.