Medal of Honor: George J. Peters – World War II – March 24, 1945

Name: George J. Peters
Rank: Private
Branch: U.S. Army
War: World War II
Unit: Company G, 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 17th Airborne Division
Date of Action: March 24, 1945
Location: Near Fluren, Germany

Summary of Action

On 24 March 1945, during the airborne assault east of the Rhine, Pvt. George J. Peters descended into Germany near Fluren.

He and ten other paratroopers landed in a field only seventy-five yards from a German machine-gun position supported by riflemen.

The enemy immediately opened devastating fire.

Men struggled to free themselves from their parachutes while bullets cut them off from nearby equipment bundles. The small group was pinned down in what appeared to be a hopeless position.

Without orders and armed only with a rifle and grenades, Peters suddenly rose and launched a one-man charge straight at the enemy emplacement.

His fearless assault instantly drew hostile fire away from his comrades, giving them a chance to move.

Halfway to the position, he was hit by machine-gun fire and knocked to the ground.

He rose again and continued forward.

Moments later, another burst tore into him and left him unable to stand.

Mortally wounded, Peters refused to stop.

He crawled directly into the fire that had struck him until he was close enough to throw grenades into the machine-gun nest.

The explosions destroyed the gun, killed two of its crew, and drove the supporting riflemen into the woods.

By his sacrifice, his fellow paratroopers were able to reach their weapons, organize, and seize their first objective.

Medal of Honor Citation

PETERS, GEORGE J.

Pvt. Peters, a platoon radio operator with Company G, made a descent into Germany near Fluren, east of the Rhine. With 10 others, he landed in a field about 75 yards from a German machinegun supported by riflemen, and was immediately pinned down by heavy, direct fire. The position of the small unit seemed hopeless with men struggling to free themselves of their parachutes in a hail of bullets that cut them off from their nearby equipment bundles, when Pvt. Peters stood up without orders and began a l-man charge against the hostile emplacement armed only with a rifle and grenades. His single-handed assault immediately drew the enemy fire away from his comrades. He had run halfway to his objective, pitting rifle fire against that of the machinegun, when he was struck and knocked to the ground by a burst. Heroically, he regained his feet and struggled onward. Once more he was torn by bullets, and this time he was unable to rise. With gallant devotion to his self-imposed mission, he crawled directly into the fire that had mortally wounded him until close enough to hurl grenades which knocked out the machinegun, killed 2 of its operators, and drove protecting riflemen from their positions into the safety of a woods. By his intrepidity and supreme sacrifice, Pvt. Peters saved the lives of many of his fellow soldiers and made it possible for them to reach their equipment, organize, and seize their first objective.