Medal of Honor: Seymour W. Terry - World War II - May 11, 1945

Name: Seymour W. Terry
Rank: Captain (then First Lieutenant)
Branch: U.S. Army
War: World War II
Unit: Company B, 382d Infantry, 96th Infantry Division
Date of Action: May 11, 1945
Location: Zebra Hill, Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands

Summary of Action

On 11 May 1945, First Lieutenant Seymour W. Terry led Company B in an assault against the heavily fortified Japanese defenses on Zebra Hill during the Battle of Okinawa.

The attack ground to a halt under devastating fire from five enemy pillboxes.

Machine-gun fire swept the slope, pinning the American soldiers in place.

Terry immediately took action.

Ignoring the storm of bullets around him, he secured satchel charges and white phosphorus grenades and then launched a one-man assault directly at the enemy strongholds.

Carrying a burning satchel charge, he sprinted thirty yards through enemy fire to the first pillbox and destroyed it.

Without stopping, he moved from bunker to bunker, hurling grenades into the emplacements and shooting enemy defenders as they attempted to escape.

By the time he completed the attack, four pillboxes had been sealed with explosives, three machine guns had been destroyed, and twenty Japanese soldiers were dead.

But the battle was not over.

Soon afterward, intense grenade fire from enemy trenches on the reverse slope again halted the advance and inflicted heavy casualties.

Burdened with six satchel charges, Terry launched another lone assault.

Moving directly into the enemy positions, he blasted apart the trench defenses with explosives and personally killed ten enemy soldiers as his men surged forward behind him.

As the company pressed toward another ridge, Japanese machine-gun and mortar fire once more stopped the attack.

Terry crossed one hundred yards of open terrain under direct fire to rally and personally lead a flanking maneuver.

When that advance also stalled, he attacked again alone, throwing grenades into the enemy positions until the Japanese defenders broke and fled.

Inspired by his fearless example, the supporting platoon charged forward and wiped out the retreating enemy force.

Only after the objective had been secured and Terry was reorganizing his company against possible counterattack was he struck and mortally wounded by an enemy mortar shell.

His extraordinary aggressiveness, fearless leadership, and relentless determination under overwhelming fire reflected the highest traditions of the United States Army.

Medal of Honor Citation

TERRY, SEYMOUR W.

1st Lt. Terry was leading an attack against heavily defended Zebra Hill when devastating fire from 5 pillboxes halted the advance. He braved the hail of bullets to secure satchel charges and white phosphorus grenades, and then ran 30 yards directly at the enemy with an ignited charge to the first stronghold, demolished it, and moved on to the other pillboxes, bombarding them with his grenades and calmly cutting down their defenders with rifle fire as they attempted to escape. When he had finished this job by sealing the 4 pillboxes with explosives, he had killed 20 Japanese and destroyed 3 machineguns. The advance was again held up by an intense grenade barrage which inflicted several casualties. Locating the source of enemy fire in trenches on the reverse slope of the hill, 1st Lt. Terry, burdened by 6 satchel charges launched a 1-man assault. He wrecked the enemy’s defenses by throwing explosives into their positions and himself accounted for 10 of the 20 hostile troops killed when his men overran the area. Pressing forward again toward a nearby ridge, his 2 assault platoons were stopped by slashing machinegun and mortar fire. He fearlessly ran across 100 yards of fire-swept terrain to join the support platoon and urge it on in a flanking maneuver. This thrust, too, was halted by stubborn resistance. 1st Lt. Terry began another 1-man drive, hurling grenades upon the strongly entrenched defenders until they fled in confusion, leaving 5 dead behind them. Inspired by this bold action, the support platoon charged the retreating enemy and annihilated them. Soon afterward, while organizing his company to repulse a possible counterattack, the gallant company commander was mortally wounded by the burst of an enemy mortar shell. By his indomitable fighting spirit, brilliant leadership, and unwavering courage in the face of tremendous odds, 1st Lt. Terry made possible the accomplishment of his unit’s mission and set an example of heroism in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service.