Medal of Honor: Robert M. Viale – U.S. Army – World War II – Philippines

Name: Robert M. Viale
Rank: Second Lieutenant
Branch: U.S. Army
Unit: Company K, 148th Infantry Regiment, 37th Infantry Division
Place: Manila, Luzon, Philippine Islands
Entered Service At: Ukiah, California
Born: Bayside, California
General Orders: No. 92, 25 October 1945

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Summary of Action

During the bitter Battle of Manila, 2d Lt. Robert M. Viale led the 1st Platoon through burning streets and collapsing buildings as Japanese demolitions forced repeated changes in route. Near a small bridge, the platoon was pinned down by intense fire from three enemy pillboxes.

With only two soldiers, Viale crossed the bridge under grenade smoke and personally destroyed one pillbox while directing his men and a bazooka team to silence the others. Wounded painfully in the right arm, he nevertheless pressed forward as his platoon regrouped and advanced through flames and mortar fire.

The platoon was again halted by an enemy machine gun covering a street corner. Seeking a way to eliminate the threat, Viale entered a nearby building. Inside, he found terrified civilians sheltering in one room, and in another a small, elevated window reachable only by ladder. Believing his left-handed throw gave him the best chance to succeed where another had failed, he attempted to hurl a grenade through the window.

As he climbed, his wounded arm failed him. The grenade slipped from his grasp and fell to the floor.

With only seconds remaining, 2d Lt. Viale recovered the armed grenade, searched desperately for a way to dispose of it, and realized there was no option that would spare his men or the civilians. In a final, conscious act of self-sacrifice, he turned toward the wall, pulled the grenade to his body, and shielded others with his own life.

He died moments later.
Because of his choice, everyone else in the room lived.

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Medal of Honor Citation

He displayed conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty. Forced by the enemy’s detonation of prepared demolitions to shift the course of his advance through the city, he led the 1st platoon toward a small bridge, where heavy fire from 3 enemy pillboxes halted the unit. With 2 men he crossed the bridge behind screening grenade smoke to attack the pillboxes. The first he knocked out himself while covered by his men’s protecting fire; the other 2 were silenced by 1 of his companions and a bazooka team which he had called up. He suffered a painful wound in the right arm during the action. After his entire platoon had joined him, he pushed ahead through mortar fire and encircling flames. Blocked from the only escape route by an enemy machinegun placed at a street corner, he entered a nearby building with his men to explore possible means of reducing the emplacement. In 1 room he found civilians huddled together, in another, a small window placed high in the wall and reached by a ladder. Because of the relative positions of the window, ladder, and enemy emplacement, he decided that he, being left-handed, could better hurl a grenade than 1 of his men who had made an unsuccessful attempt. Grasping an armed grenade, he started up the ladder. His wounded right arm weakened, and, as he tried to steady himself, the grenade fell to the floor. In the 5 seconds before the grenade would explode, he dropped down, recovered the grenade and looked for a place to dispose of it safely. Finding no way to get rid of the grenade without exposing his own men or the civilians to injury or death, he turned to the wall, held it close to his body and bent over it as it exploded. 2d Lt. Viale died in a few minutes, but his heroic act saved the lives of others.