Medal of Honor: James W. Reese – World War II, August 5, 1943

REESE, JAMES W.
Rank and Organization: Private, United States Army
Unit: 26th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division
Conflict: World War II
Date of Action: August 5, 1943
Location: Mount Vassillio, Sicily
Entered Service At: Chester, Pennsylvania
Born: Chester, Pennsylvania
General Order No.: 85, 17 December 1943

Summary of Action

In the searing summer heat of Sicily, the 1st Infantry Division faced a ferocious German counterattack near Mount Vassillio. The air was thick with mortar blasts and machine gun fire as the enemy surged forward, threatening to overrun American positions.

At the center of the storm stood Private James W. Reese, acting squad leader of a 60mm mortar team. With calm precision and fierce resolve, Reese took command. Without waiting for orders, he led his men forward into the teeth of the attack, repositioning his squad to deliver more effective fire. His mortars rained havoc on the enemy ranks, helping to stall the German advance.

But the enemy’s fire grew unbearable—mortar, artillery, and machine gun rounds raked their position. Reese gave the order for his men to withdraw, choosing to stay behind and fight alone.

Dragging his mortar into a new position by himself, Reese took aim at a nearby machine gun nest. He had only three rounds left. With his final shot, he scored a direct hit, destroying the nest and killing the crew.

Out of mortar shells, Reese grabbed a rifle and pressed forward—alone—toward an exposed rise overlooking the enemy. There, under the heaviest barrage his unit would face during the entire Sicilian campaign, Private James W. Reese held his ground, pouring fire into the advancing enemy until he was killed.

Medal of Honor Citation

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty in action involving actual conflict with the enemy.

When the enemy launched a counterattack which threatened the position of his company, Private Reese, acting as squad leader of a 60mm mortar team, displayed superior leadership and, on his own initiative, maneuvered his squad forward to a more favorable position. There, by skillfully directing the fire of his weapon, he inflicted heavy casualties on the enemy and played a critical role in repulsing the attack.

When enemy fire became too intense to hold the position, he ordered his men to withdraw to safety but refused to leave himself. Alone, he moved his mortar to a new firing position and targeted an enemy machine gun nest. Though he had only three rounds left, his final shot struck home—destroying the nest and killing its crew.

With no ammunition remaining, Reese abandoned his mortar, seized a rifle, and continued advancing. Reaching an exposed position overlooking the enemy, and despite a withering storm of machine gun, mortar, and artillery fire—the worst experienced by his unit during the entire campaign—he held fast and continued to engage the enemy until he was killed.

His unmatched bravery, steadfast determination, and self-sacrifice in the face of overwhelming odds remain a timeless inspiration to the United States Armed Forces.