Medal of Honor: Day G. Turner – World War II – Luxembourg – January 1945
Outnumbered, surrounded, and battered by fire, he turned a single house into a fortress. For four brutal hours, he refused to yield—and forced the enemy to surrender instead.
January 8, 2026
Name: Day G. Turner
Rank: Sergeant
Organization: U.S. Army
Unit: Company B, 319th Infantry Regiment, 80th Infantry Division
Place: Dahl, Luxembourg
Entered Service At: Nescopek, Pennsylvania
Born: Berwick, Pennsylvania
Summary of Action
On 8 January 1945, during fierce fighting at Dahl, Luxembourg, Sergeant Day G. Turner commanded a 9-man squad assigned to hold a critical flank position against overwhelming German forces. When the enemy attacked under intense artillery, mortar, and rocket fire, Sergeant Turner withdrew his squad into a nearby house and resolved to defend it at all costs.
Wave after wave of enemy infantry assaulted the position and were repulsed with heavy losses. Eventually, supported by direct tank fire, the Germans forced entry into the building. Despite having five men wounded and one killed, Sergeant Turner refused to surrender. He met the attackers with flaming oil, grenades, rifle fire, and sheer ferocity—fighting room to room in savage hand-to-hand combat.
As the battle raged on, Sergeant Turner hurled grenades in close quarters, bayoneted two enemy soldiers who rushed his position, and continued fighting with captured enemy weapons after his own ammunition was exhausted. For four hours the struggle continued inside the shattered house. When the fighting finally ended, only three members of the squad remained unwounded—but the enemy had broken.
The Germans surrendered. Twenty-five prisoners were taken, eleven enemy dead were counted, and many more were wounded. Sergeant Turner’s fearless leadership and unyielding determination transformed a desperate defense into a decisive victory, securing the flank and inspiring all who fought beside him.
Medal of Honor Citation
He boldly flung a can of flaming oil at the first wave of attackers, dispersing them, and fought doggedly from room to room, closing with the enemy in fierce hand-to-hand encounters. He hurled handgrenade for handgrenade, bayoneted 2 fanatical Germans who rushed a doorway he was defending and fought on with the enemy’s weapons when his own ammunition was expended. The savage fight raged for 4 hours, and finally, when only 3 men of the defending squad were left unwounded, the enemy surrendered. Twenty-five prisoners were taken, 11 enemy dead and a great number of wounded were counted. Sgt. Turner’s valiant stand will live on as a constant inspiration to his comrades. His heroic, inspiring leadership, his determination and courageous devotion to duty exemplify the highest tradition of the military service.
