Medal of Honor: Harold Christ Agerholm – World War II – July 7, 1944
During the Pacific War’s largest banzai attack, thousands of Japanese troops crashed into the Marine lines. One young Marine drove again and again into the fire to rescue wounded comrades until a sniper killed him on his final mission.
July 7, 2026
Name: Harold Christ Agerholm
Rank: Private First Class
Branch: U.S. Marine Corps Reserve
War: World War II
Unit: 4th Battalion, 10th Marines, 
Date of Action: July 7, 1944
Location: Saipan, Mariana Islands
Summary of Action
On 7 July 1944, during the Battle of Saipan, Private First Class Harold Christ Agerholm was serving with the 4th Battalion, 10th Marines, 2nd Marine Division.
Before dawn, thousands of Japanese soldiers launched a massive banzai attack against American positions in one of the largest and most desperate assaults of the Pacific War.
The enemy overran a neighboring Marine artillery battalion, leaving large numbers of wounded men scattered across terrain swept by rifle, machine-gun, mortar, and sniper fire.
Without hesitation, Agerholm volunteered to assist in rescuing the wounded.
Finding an abandoned ambulance jeep, he immediately began driving into the deadly battlefield.
For more than three hours, he repeatedly maneuvered the vehicle through intense enemy fire, stopping each time to load wounded Marines by himself before carrying them back to safety.
Again and again, he returned to the front despite knowing that every trip exposed him to almost certain death.
By the end of his extraordinary rescue mission, Agerholm had personally evacuated approximately forty-five wounded Marines.
Still refusing to stop, he spotted two men lying in the open whom he believed were wounded Marines.
Leaving the relative safety of his jeep, he ran toward them under continuing enemy fire.
As he attempted to carry out yet another rescue, a concealed Japanese sniper mortally wounded him.
Private First Class Harold Christ Agerholm gave his life while trying to save others.
His extraordinary courage, compassion, and complete disregard for his own safety saved dozens of fellow Marines and reflected the highest traditions of the United States Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.
Medal of Honor Citation
AGERHOLM, HAROLD CHRIST
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve.
Born: 29 January 1925, Racine, Wisconsin.
Accredited to: Wisconsin.
Citation:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with the 4th Battalion, 10th Marines, 2nd Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Saipan, Mariana Islands, 7 July 1944.
When the enemy launched a fierce, determined counterattack against our positions and overran a neighboring artillery battalion, Private First Class Agerholm immediately volunteered to assist in the efforts to check the hostile attack and evacuate our wounded.
Locating and appropriating an abandoned ambulance jeep, he repeatedly made extremely perilous trips under heavy rifle and mortar fire and single-handedly loaded and evacuated approximately forty-five casualties, working tirelessly and with utter disregard for his own safety during a grueling period of more than three hours.
Despite intense, persistent enemy fire, he ran out to aid two men whom he believed to be wounded Marines but was himself mortally wounded by a Japanese sniper while carrying out his hazardous mission.
Private First Class Agerholm's brilliant initiative, great personal valor, and self-sacrificing efforts in the face of almost certain death reflect the highest credit upon himself and the United States Naval Service.
He gallantly gave his life for his country.
