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

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

Summary of Action

On 12 July 1944, Sergeant Roy W. Harmon displayed extraordinary heroism while serving as acting squad leader during combat operations near Casaglia, Italy.

His company’s advance had been halted by devastating machine-gun fire from three German positions skillfully concealed inside haystacks on commanding ground. The concentrated fire pinned down one American platoon in an exposed position where it faced almost certain annihilation.

Ordered to neutralize the enemy weapons and rescue the trapped soldiers, Harmon led his squad along a draw to attack the fortified positions.

When tracer fire failed to ignite the camouflaged haystacks, he ordered his men to remain in place and volunteered to continue the assault alone.

Armed with a submachine gun and white phosphorus grenades, Harmon carefully exploited every fold in the terrain as he crawled toward the first enemy emplacement.

Reaching a point within 25 yards, he ignited the haystack with a phosphorus grenade.

As two German soldiers attempted to escape the flames, Harmon cut them down with his submachine gun.

Without pausing, he continued toward the second machine-gun position.

Enemy fire found its mark, wounding him during the approach, but he refused to stop.

Closing with the position, he destroyed it with hand grenades, killing its occupants and silencing another source of deadly fire.

Still pressing forward despite his wounds, Harmon began the attack against the third and final machine gun.

After running to a small rise and then crawling across completely exposed ground, he was wounded a second time.

Nevertheless, he struggled to within approximately 20 yards of the enemy position.

Rising to his knees to throw a grenade, he was struck by direct enemy fire and knocked to the ground.

Summoning one final effort, Harmon forced himself upright once more and hurled the grenade before collapsing under a hail of bullets.

The grenade ignited the haystack and destroyed the final machine-gun position.

His extraordinary sacrifice eliminated the enemy defenses, saved the trapped platoon from destruction, and enabled his company to resume its advance against determined German resistance.

Medal of Honor Citation

HARMON, ROY W.

Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company C, 362nd Infantry Regiment, 91st Infantry Division.

Place and date: Near Casaglia, Italy, 12 July 1944.

Entered service at: Pixley, Calif.

Birth: Talala, Okla.

G.O. No.: 83, 2 October 1945.

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 one 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 three 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 three 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 one-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 two 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.