Medal of Honor: Robert T. Henry – World War II – December 3, 1944
Knowing his platoon couldn’t advance, a young infantryman shed his gear, sprinted alone across open ground, and charged five machineguns—forcing the enemy to break and clearing the way forward.
December 3, 2025
Name: Robert T. Henry
Rank: Private
Organization: U.S. Army
Unit: 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division
Place and Date: Luchem, Germany – 3 December 1944
Entered Service At: Greenville, Mississippi
Born: Greenville, Mississippi – 1923
Departed: December 3, 1944 (Killed in Action)
Accredited To: Mississippi
Summary of Action
On December 3, 1944, near Luchem, Germany, Private Robert T. Henry’s platoon was pinned down by a fortified bunker containing five enemy machineguns. The position dominated the flank and halted the advance of his company. Recognizing that someone had to silence the guns or the attack would fail, Henry volunteered to do it himself.
He stripped off his pack, overshoes, helmet, and overcoat to move more freely, then charged alone across 150 yards of open ground under direct fire. Before he had covered half the distance, he was struck by a burst of machinegun fire. Dropping his rifle, he continued to stagger forward despite his wounds, determined to carry the attack as close as he could.
He fell mortally wounded just ten yards from the bunker — but his single-handed charge forced the enemy to abandon the position. In the brief lull that followed, Henry’s platoon surged forward, overran the bunker, captured 70 enemy soldiers, and secured the vital defensive point.
Private Henry’s courage broke the obstacle that had stopped an entire company and opened the way for the advance.
Medal of Honor Citation
