Medal of Honor: Roy W. Harmon – World War II, July 12, 1944

Name: Roy W. Harmon

Rank: Sergeant
Conflict: World War II
Unit: Company C, 362nd Infantry Regiment, 91st Infantry Division, U.S. Army
Date of Action: July 12, 1944
Location: Near Casaglia, Italy

Summary of Action:
In the blazing heat of an Italian summer, the 91st Infantry Division fought its way up the rugged terrain near Casaglia. On July 12, 1944, Sergeant Roy W. Harmon, an acting squad leader in Company C, faced a battlefield gripped in chaos. His company’s advance had stalled—three hidden German machine gun nests, expertly camouflaged under haystacks on high ground, had opened up with deadly precision. One American platoon was caught in the open, helpless and pinned down under withering fire. Without intervention, they faced certain annihilation.

Ordered to eliminate the threat, Harmon led his squad along a draw in a bold flanking maneuver. They tried to ignite the haystacks with tracer fire—but the flames refused to catch, and the guns kept firing. Realizing his men couldn’t move without being cut down, Harmon made a fateful decision: he would go alone.

Armed with white phosphorus grenades and a submachine gun, he crawled and crept through sparse cover toward the nearest haystack. At just 25 yards, he lobbed a grenade and ignited the position. As two German soldiers bolted from the flames, Harmon cut them down. Then he moved toward the second nest. Hit by enemy fire, he refused to stop—fighting through the pain to destroy the second machine gun with grenades, killing its crew.

Now bleeding and exposed, he crawled across open ground toward the final bunker, inching his way toward a small knoll. Halfway there, he was hit again. Still he pressed on. At just 20 yards out, he rose to throw a final grenade—only to be shot and knocked down. Summoning every last ounce of strength, Sergeant Roy Harmon rose once more, hurled the grenade, and destroyed the third machine gun nest before collapsing, riddled with bullets.

His one-man assault broke the enemy’s grip, saved a trapped platoon, and opened the way for his company to resume the advance. Sgt. Harmon died on that hillside—but not before turning the tide of battle with sheer grit, courage, and sacrifice.

Medal of Honor Citation:
He was an acting squad leader when heavy machine gun fire from enemy positions, well dug in on commanding ground and camouflaged by haystacks, stopped his company’s advance and pinned down 1 platoon where it was exposed to almost certain annihilation. Ordered to rescue the beleaguered platoon by neutralizing the German automatic fire, he led his squad forward along a draw to the right of the trapped unit against 3 key positions which poured murderous fire into his helpless comrades. When within range, his squad fired tracer bullets in an attempt to set fire to the 3 haystacks which were strung out in a loose line directly to the front, 75, 150, and 250 yards away. Realizing that this attack was ineffective, Sgt. Harmon ordered his squad to hold their position and voluntarily began a 1-man assault. Carrying white phosphorus grenades and a submachine gun, he skillfully took advantage of what little cover the terrain afforded and crept to within 25 yards of the first position. He set the haystack afire with a grenade, and when 2 of the enemy attempted to flee from the inferno, he killed them with his submachine gun. Crawling toward the second machine gun emplacement, he attracted fire and was wounded; but he continued to advance and destroyed the position with hand grenades, killing the occupants. He then attacked the third machine gun, running to a small knoll, then crawling over ground which offered no concealment or cover. About halfway to his objective, he was again wounded. But he struggled ahead until within 20 yards of the machine gun nest, where he raised himself to his knees to throw a grenade. He was knocked down by direct enemy fire. With a final, magnificent effort, he again arose, hurled the grenade and fell dead, riddled by bullets. His missile fired the third position, destroying it. Sgt. Harmon’s extraordinary heroism, gallantry, and self-sacrifice saved a platoon from being wiped out, and made it possible for his company to advance against powerful enemy resistance.