Medal of Honor: David M. Gonzales - World War II - April 25, 1945

Name: David M. Gonzales
Rank: Private First Class
Branch: U.S. Army
War: World War II
Unit: Company A, 127th Infantry Regiment, 32d Infantry Division
Date of Action: April 25, 1945
Location: Villa Verde Trail, Luzon, Philippine Islands

Summary of Action

On 25 April 1945, Private First Class David M. Gonzales distinguished himself during bitter fighting along the Villa Verde Trail on Luzon.

His company had been pinned down by heavy enemy fire, and movement anywhere in the perimeter was extremely dangerous.

During the engagement, a 500-pound bomb crashed into the company’s position.

The explosion buried five American soldiers beneath rock and sand.

Without hesitation, Gonzales seized an entrenching tool and crawled fifteen yards through a hail of enemy fire toward the trapped men.

His commanding officer had also rushed forward and had begun digging, but Gonzales saw the officer struck and instantly killed by machine-gun fire.

Undeterred, Gonzales continued alone.

Using both his entrenching tool and his bare hands, he dug rapidly while sniper and machine-gun bullets struck all around him.

He freed the first buried soldier.

Then he pulled out a second.

Determined to work faster, Gonzales stood upright despite the greater danger of exposing himself to enemy fire.

Still under direct fire, he extricated a third trapped comrade.

As he completed the rescue, Gonzales was struck and mortally wounded.

Because of his fearless sacrifice, the men he had saved were safely evacuated.

Through selfless courage and devotion to his fellow soldiers, David M. Gonzales reflected the highest traditions of the United States Army.

Medal of Honor Citation

GONZALES, DAVID M.

He was pinned down with his company. As enemy fire swept the area, making any movement extremely hazardous, a 500-pound bomb smashed into the company’s perimeter, burying 5 men with its explosion. Pfc. Gonzales, without hesitation, seized an entrenching tool and under a hail of fire crawled 15 yards to his entombed comrades, where his commanding officer, who had also rushed forward, was beginning to dig the men out. Nearing his goal, he saw the officer struck and instantly killed by machinegun fire. Undismayed, he set to work swiftly and surely with his hands and the entrenching tool while enemy sniper and machinegun bullets struck all about him. He succeeded in digging one of the men out of the pile of rock and sand. To dig faster he stood up regardless of the greater danger from so exposing himself. He extricated a second man, and then another. As he completed the liberation of the third, he was hit and mortally wounded, but the comrades for whom he so gallantly gave his life were safely evacuated. Pfc. Gonzales’ valiant and intrepid conduct exemplifies the highest tradition of the military service.