Medal of Honor: Eric G. Gibson – World War II – Italy – January 1944
A company cook by duty, a combat leader by choice. On his first day under fire, he walked point and never stepped back.
January 28, 2026
Name: Eric G. Gibson
Rank: Technician Fifth Grade
Organization: U.S. Army
Unit: 3d Infantry Division
Place: Near Isola Bella, Italy
Entered Service At: Chicago, Illinois
Born: Nysund, Sweden
Summary of Action
On 28 January 1944, near Isola Bella, Italy, Technician Fifth Grade Eric G. Gibson—normally a company cook—was placed in charge of a squad of replacement soldiers facing their first combat. As his company advanced against a strongly held enemy position, Gibson deliberately moved 50 yards ahead of his inexperienced men, choosing to lead from the most dangerous ground.
Advancing down a drainage ditch known as the Fossa Femminamorta, Gibson encountered an enemy soldier who opened fire at close range. Without hesitation, Gibson charged directly into the automatic fire, killing the enemy at point-blank range. Moments later, artillery fire knocked him to the ground, but he immediately rose and pressed forward again.
When two additional German soldiers opened fire from a concealed position, Gibson raced toward them despite machinegun fire joining the engagement. He killed one enemy soldier and captured the other. Later, when a heavy machinegun pinned his squad down from farther down the ditch, Gibson ordered his men to establish a base of fire and then crawled alone through artillery bursts and intersecting machinegun fire to flank the emplacement. He destroyed the position with grenades and submachine-gun fire, killing two Germans and capturing another.
Before moving his squad forward again, Gibson advanced alone to reconnoiter around a bend in the ditch. Hearing gunfire ahead, his squad followed and found that Gibson had charged another enemy outpost, killed one German at close range, and was mortally wounded while still firing at the enemy. In a single day of combat, Gibson destroyed four enemy positions, killed five enemy soldiers, captured two more, secured his company’s flank, and gave his life leading men who had never before faced battle.
Medal of Honor Citation
Placing himself 50 yards in front of his new men, Gibson advanced down the wide stream ditch known as the Fossa Femminamorta, keeping pace with the advance of his company. An enemy soldier allowed Tech. 5th Grade Gibson to come within 20 yards of his concealed position and then opened fire on him with a machine pistol. Despite the stream of automatic fire which barely missed him, Gibson charged the position, firing his submachine gun every few steps. Reaching the position, Gibson fired pointblank at his opponent, killing him.
An artillery concentration fell in and around the ditch; the concussion from one shell knocked him flat. As he got to his feet Gibson was fired on by two soldiers armed with a machine pistol and a rifle from a position only 75 yards distant. Gibson immediately raced toward the foe. Halfway to the position a machinegun opened fire on him. Bullets came within inches of his body, yet Gibson never paused in his forward movement. He killed one and captured the other soldier.
Shortly after, when he was fired upon by a heavy machinegun 200 yards down the ditch, Gibson crawled back to his squad and ordered it to lay down a base of fire while he flanked the emplacement. Despite all warning, Gibson crawled 125 yards through an artillery concentration and the cross fire of 2 machineguns which showered dirt over his body, threw 2 hand grenades into the emplacement and charged it with his submachine gun, killing 2 of the enemy and capturing a third.
Before leading his men around a bend in the stream ditch, Gibson went forward alone to reconnoiter. Hearing an exchange of machine pistol and submachine gun fire, Gibson’s squad went forward to find that its leader had run 35 yards toward an outpost, killed the machine pistol man, and had himself been killed while firing at the Germans.
