Medal of Honor, Stanley Bender, World War II, August 17, 1944

Name: Stanley Bender
War: World War II
Date: August 17, 1944

Summary of Action

On August 17, 1944, near La Lande, France, Staff Sergeant Stanley Bender and Company E, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, were halted by withering enemy machine gun fire. With his men pinned down and the company’s advance stalled, Bender climbed onto a knocked-out tank in full view of the enemy, calmly exposing himself to deadly fire as bullets clanged off the steel around him. For over two minutes, he scouted the German positions, then ordered covering fire as he led his men forward through an irrigation ditch swept by grenades and machine gun bursts.

When four of his soldiers were wounded and enemy grenades rained into the trench, Bender pressed on alone. Moving deliberately, he flanked the enemy strongpoint, walking 40 yards without cover, under both enemy and friendly fire. He silenced the first machine gun with a short burst, then advanced into the heart of the enemy position despite exploding grenades. Facing a second machine gun, Bender strode forward under direct fire until he was close enough to kill its two-man crew. Without hesitation, he signaled his men to rush forward and led the destruction of the strongpoint, killing additional riflemen and securing the position.

His audacity sparked his entire assault company into action. Inspired, they surged forward, shouting and charging into La Lande, where they knocked out two antitank guns, killed 37 Germans, captured 26 prisoners, and seized three intact bridges over the Maravenne River. Bender’s courage and leadership broke the German defenses and opened the way for the division’s advance through southern France.

Medal of Honor Citation

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty. On 17 August 1944, near La Lande, France, he climbed on top of a knocked-out tank, in the face of withering machinegun fire which had halted the advance of his company, in an effort to locate the source of this fire. Although bullets ricocheted off the turret at his feet, he nevertheless remained standing upright in full view of the enemy for over 2 minutes. Locating the enemy machineguns on a knoll 200 yards away, he ordered 2 squads to cover him and led his men down an irrigation ditch, running a gauntlet of intense machinegun fire, which completely blanketed 50 yards of his advance and wounded 4 of his men. While the Germans hurled hand grenades at the ditch, he stood his ground until his squad caught up with him, then advanced alone, in a wide flanking approach, to the rear of the knoll. He walked deliberately a distance of 40 yards, without cover, in full view of the Germans and under a hail of both enemy and friendly fire, to the first machinegun and knocked it out with a single short burst. Then he made his way through the strong point, despite bursting hand grenades, toward the second machinegun, 25 yards distant, whose 2-man crew swung the machinegun around and fired two bursts at him, but he walked calmly through the fire and, reaching the edge of the emplacement, dispatched the crew. Signaling his men to rush the rifle pits, he then walked 35 yards further to kill an enemy rifleman and returned to lead his squad in the destruction of the 8 remaining Germans in the strong point. His audacity so inspired the remainder of the assault company that the men charged out of their positions, shouting and yelling, to overpower the enemy roadblock and sweep into town, knocking out 2 antitank guns, killing 37 Germans and capturing 26 others. He had sparked and led the assault company in an attack which overwhelmed the enemy, destroying a roadblock, taking a town, seizing intact 3 bridges over the Maravenne River, and capturing commanding terrain which dominated the area.