Medal of Honor: Joseph E. Muller - Okinawa - May 15-16, 1945

Name: Joseph E. Muller
Rank: Sergeant
Branch: U.S. Army
War: World War II
Unit: Company B, 305th Infantry, 77th Infantry Division
Date of Action: May 15-16, 1945
Location: Near Ishimmi, Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands

Summary of Action

During the brutal fighting on Okinawa in May 1945, Sergeant Joseph E. Muller displayed extraordinary heroism while assaulting heavily defended Japanese positions near Ishimmi.

His platoon had been stopped cold by devastating enemy machine-gun and automatic weapons fire coming from a fortified ridge.

Recognizing that the position had to be destroyed before the attack could continue, Muller directed his men into supporting positions so they could cover his movement.

Then he advanced alone.

Crawling forward through intense enemy fire, Muller suddenly rose to his feet near the Japanese positions and launched a furious assault with grenades and rifle fire.

The stunned enemy soldiers fled into the open where American troops cut them down.

Spotting several surviving Japanese soldiers attempting to reman a machine gun, Muller attacked again at point-blank range.

Firing his rifle and throwing himself directly upon the enemy, he killed the remaining four defenders and secured the position.

But the battle was not over.

Before dawn the next morning, Japanese forces launched a fierce counterattack in an attempt to retake the ridge.

Once again Muller moved forward into the storm of bullets and explosions.

Leaping to his feet under enemy fire, he charged directly into the attackers while firing his rifle and hurling grenades, routing the assaulting Japanese troops.

As the fighting subsided and Muller returned to the foxhole he shared with two fellow soldiers, a Japanese soldier who had been pretending to be dead suddenly threw a grenade into their position.

Muller reacted instantly.

Realizing his comrades had no chance to escape, he threw himself onto the grenade and absorbed the full force of the explosion with his own body.

His selfless sacrifice saved the lives of the two soldiers beside him.

Medal of Honor Citation

MULLER, JOSEPH E.

He displayed conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty. When his platoon was stopped by deadly fire from a strongly defended ridge, he directed men to points where they could cover his attack. Then through the vicious machinegun and automatic fire, crawling forward alone, he suddenly jumped up, hurled his grenades, charged the enemy, and drove them into the open where his squad shot them down. Seeing enemy survivors about to man a machinegun, He fired his rifle at point-blank range, hurled himself upon them, and killed the remaining 4. Before dawn the next day, the enemy counterattacked fiercely to retake the position. Sgt. Muller crawled forward through the flying bullets and explosives, then leaping to his feet, hurling grenades and firing his rifle, he charged the Japs and routed them. As he moved into his foxhole shared with 2 other men, a lone enemy, who had been feigning death, threw a grenade. Quickly seeing the danger to his companions, Sgt. Muller threw himself over it and smothered the blast with his body. Heroically sacrificing his life to save his comrades, he upheld the highest traditions of the military service.