Medal of Honor: Leonard C. Brostrom, World War II, October 28 1944

Name: Leonard C. Brostrom
Rank: Private First Class
War: World War II (Leyte Campaign)
Date of Action: October 28, 1944
Unit: Company F, 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division
Born: November 23, 1919 – Preston, Idaho
Entered Service At: Preston, Idaho

Summary of Action

As the U.S. Army fought to secure Leyte in the Philippines, Pfc. Leonard Brostrom’s platoon came under devastating fire from a Japanese strongpoint near the town of Dagami. Hidden pillboxes and trenches poured out machine-gun fire so intense that movement was nearly impossible. Realizing his comrades couldn’t advance until the central bunker was silenced, Brostrom made a decision — he’d take it alone.

Clutching grenades, he sprinted through a storm of bullets, drawing the attention of every enemy rifle in the area. Reaching the rear of the pillbox, he tossed grenades through its entrance, killing several of the defenders. Six Japanese soldiers charged him with bayonets, but Brostrom stood his ground, killing one and driving the rest away. Though wounded in the abdomen and bleeding heavily, he rose again, lobbing more grenades until the pillbox was silenced and its defenders fled — straight into the rifles of his platoon.

Pfc. Brostrom collapsed moments later and died as his comrades carried him from the field. His fearless, one-man assault broke the enemy position wide open, saving his platoon and paving the way for the advance on Dagami.

Medal of Honor Citation

BROSTROM, LEONARD C.
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Company F, 17th Infantry, 7th Infantry Division.
Place and date: Near Dagami, Leyte, Philippine Islands, 28 October 1944.
Entered service at: Preston, Idaho. Birth: Preston, Idaho. G.O. No.: 104, 15 November 1945.

Citation:
He was a rifleman with an assault platoon which ran into powerful resistance near Dagami, Leyte, Philippine Islands, on 28 October 1944. From pillboxes, trenches, and spider holes, so well camouflaged that they could be detected at no more than 20 yards, the enemy poured machinegun and rifle fire, causing severe casualties in the platoon. Realizing that a key pillbox in the center of the strong point would have to be knocked out if the company were to advance, Pfc. Brostrom, without orders and completely ignoring his own safety, ran forward to attack the pillbox with grenades. He immediately became the prime target for all the riflemen in the area, as he rushed to the rear of the pillbox and tossed grenades through the entrance. Six enemy soldiers left a trench in a bayonet charge against the heroic American, but he killed one and drove the others off with rifle fire. As he threw more grenades from his completely exposed position he was wounded several times in the abdomen and knocked to the ground. Although suffering intense pain and rapidly weakening from loss of blood, he slowly rose to his feet and once more hurled his deadly missiles at the pillbox. As he collapsed, the enemy began fleeing from the fortification and were killed by riflemen of his platoon. Pfc. Brostrom died while being carried from the battlefield, but his intrepidity and unhesitating willingness to sacrifice himself in a one-man attack against overwhelming odds enabled his company to reorganize against attack, and annihilate the entire enemy position.