Name: Junior Van Noy
Rank: Private
War: World War II
Date of Action: October 17, 1943
Unit: Headquarters Company, Shore Battalion, Engineer Boat and Shore Regiment
Born: August 9, 1924 – Grace, Idaho
Entered Service At: Preston, Idaho
Summary of Action
Before dawn on October 17, 1943, three Japanese troop barges emerged from the darkness and headed straight for the Allied-held beaches near Finschhafen, New Guinea. Manning a lonely machine-gun pit just five yards from the waterline, Private Junior Van Noy stood ready. When two of the barges beached only ten yards away, their decks swarming with enemy soldiers, Van Noy opened fire with deadly precision, cutting down wave after wave of attackers.
A grenade wounded his loader and left Van Noy himself bleeding badly, but he refused evacuation. Alone, he kept firing until his last round was gone. When his comrades finally reached the position, they found him dead beside his gun, surrounded by the bodies of the enemy he had held off. Of the thirty-nine Japanese who landed, more than half fell to his fire. His courage and sacrifice saved countless lives and secured the beachhead.
Medal of Honor Citation
VAN NOY, JUNIOR
Rank and organization: Private, U.S. Army, Headquarters Company, Shore Battalion, Engineer Boat and Shore Regiment. Place and date: Near Finschafen, New Guinea, 17 October 1943. Entered service at: Preston, Idaho. Birth: Grace, Idaho. G.O. No.: 17, 26 February 1944.
Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action with the enemy near Finschafen, New Guinea, on 17 October 1943. When wounded late in September, Pvt. Van Noy declined evacuation and continued on duty. On 17 October 1943 he was gunner in charge of a machinegun post only 5 yards from the water’s edge when the alarm was given that 3 enemy barges loaded with troops were approaching the beach in the early morning darkness. One landing barge was sunk by Allied fire, but the other 2 beached 10 yards from Pvt. Van Noy’s emplacement. Despite his exposed position, he poured a withering hail of fire into the debarking enemy troops. His loader was wounded by a grenade and evacuated. Pvt. Van Noy, also grievously wounded, remained at his post, ignoring calls of nearby soldiers urging him to withdraw, and continued to fire with deadly accuracy. He expended every round and was found, covered with wounds dead beside his gun. In this action Pvt. Van Noy killed at least half of the 39 enemy taking part in the landing. His heroic tenacity at the price of his life not only saved the lives of many of his comrades, but enabled them to annihilate the attacking detachment.
