Medal of Honor: Mike Colalillo – World War II – April 7, 1945

Name: Mike Colalillo
Rank: Private First Class
Branch: U.S. Army
War: World War II
Unit: Company C, 398th Infantry Regiment, 100th Infantry Division
Date of Action: April 7, 1945
Location: Near Untergriesheim, Germany

Summary of Action

On 7 April 1945, Private First Class Mike Colalillo was pinned down with the rest of his company during an attack near Untergriesheim, Germany.

Heavy artillery, mortar, and machine-gun fire made any movement seem impossible.

At that moment, Colalillo rose to his feet, shouted for the company to follow, and charged forward behind a supporting tank while firing his machine pistol.

Inspired by his example, the company surged ahead through savage enemy fire.

During the advance, shrapnel struck his weapon and rendered it useless.

Without hesitation, Colalillo climbed onto the deck of a friendly tank and seized an exposed turret machine gun.

Fully visible to enemy fire, he opened devastating fire on hostile positions.

With deadly accuracy, he killed or wounded at least ten enemy soldiers and destroyed a machine-gun emplacement.

Remaining in the exposed position as the tank moved forward, he blasted three more enemy positions, destroyed another machine gun, and silenced resistance across his sector.

At least three more enemy soldiers were killed, with others wounded as they fled.

When the machine gun jammed, Colalillo obtained a submachine gun from the tank crew and continued the attack on foot.

Later, when American armored forces ran out of ammunition and the order to withdraw was given, he chose not to leave.

Instead, he remained behind to assist a seriously wounded comrade across several hundred yards of open terrain under heavy enemy artillery and mortar fire.

Through fearless aggression and total devotion to others, Mike Colalillo helped drive the attack forward, inflicted heavy enemy losses, and saved a wounded soldier at great personal risk.

Medal of Honor Citation

COLALILLO, MIKE

He was pinned down with other members of his company during an attack against strong enemy positions in the vicinity of Untergriesheim, Germany. Heavy artillery, mortar, and machinegun fire made any move hazardous when he stood up, shouted to the company to follow, and ran forward in the wake of a supporting tank, firing his machine pistol. Inspired by his example, his comrades advanced in the face of savage enemy fire. When his weapon was struck by shrapnel and rendered useless, he climbed to the deck of a friendly tank, manned an exposed machinegun on the turret of the vehicle, and, while bullets rattled about him, fired at an enemy emplacement with such devastating accuracy that he killed or wounded at least 10 hostile soldiers and destroyed their machinegun. Maintaining his extremely dangerous post as the tank forged ahead, he blasted 3 more positions, destroyed another machinegun emplacement and silenced all resistance in his area, killing at least 3 and wounding an undetermined number of riflemen as they fled. His machinegun eventually jammed; so he secured a submachinegun from the tank crew to continue his attack on foot. When our armored forces exhausted their ammunition and the order to withdraw was given, he remained behind to help a seriously wounded comrade over several hundred yards of open terrain rocked by an intense enemy artillery and mortar barrage. By his intrepidity and inspiring courage Pfc. Colallilo gave tremendous impetus to his company’s attack, killed or wounded 25 of the enemy in bitter fighting, and assisted a wounded soldier in reaching the American lines at great risk of his own life.