Medal of Honor: Thomas E. McCall – World War II – Italy – January 1944
Across an ice-slick bridge and into a storm of fire, he held his men together. When his section was destroyed, he carried the fight forward alone.
January 22, 2026
Name: Thomas E. McCall
Rank: Staff Sergeant
Organization: U.S. Army
Unit: Company F, 143d Infantry Regiment, 36th Infantry Division
Place: Near San Angelo, Italy (Rapido River)
Entered Service At: Veedersburg, Indiana
Born: Burton, Kansas
Summary of Action
On 22 January 1944, Staff Sergeant Thomas E. McCall commanded a machinegun section assigned to support Company F as it crossed the Rapido River near San Angelo, Italy. The crossing was made under darkness but against a meticulously prepared German defense—interlocking machinegun fire swept the approaches, while mortar and artillery fire were zeroed on likely crossing points.
As Company F crossed an ice-covered bridge under intense fire, heavy casualties were sustained and the unit became disorganized on the far bank. Exposing himself repeatedly to sweeping machinegun and small-arms fire, Staff Sergeant McCall calmly rallied his men, reorganized the survivors, and led them forward across open, muddy terrain.
Guiding his section through barbed wire, he personally emplaced two machineguns to cover the battalion’s front. When an enemy shell destroyed one gun, killing the assistant gunner and wounding the gunner, McCall crawled forward under fire to administer first aid and drag the wounded man to cover. Moments later, shell fragments wounded the crew of the second gun, leaving Staff Sergeant McCall the sole remaining member of his section.
Seizing the surviving machinegun, he advanced alone across exposed ground. Reaching a position just 30 yards from an enemy nest, he fired into it at point-blank range, killing or wounding the entire crew. When a second German machinegun opened fire, he rushed it and destroyed its crew with fire from the hip. Spotting a third machinegun delivering devastating fire on American troops, Staff Sergeant McCall again advanced alone into overwhelming enemy fire.
He was last seen moving forward toward the enemy position, firing his machinegun from the hip—continuing the attack until he fell. His fearless aggression shattered key enemy defenses and embodied the highest traditions of military service.
Medal of Honor Citation
Under cover of darkness, Company F advanced to the river crossing site and under intense enemy mortar, artillery, and machinegun fire crossed an ice-covered bridge which was continually the target for enemy fire. Many casualties occurred on reaching the west side of the river and reorganization was imperative. Exposing himself to the deadly enemy machinegun and small arms fire that swept over the flat terrain, S/Sgt. McCall, with unusual calmness, encouraged and welded his men into an effective fighting unit. He then led them forward across the muddy, exposed terrain.
Skillfully he guided his men through a barbed-wire entanglement to reach a road where he personally placed the weapons of his two squads into positions of vantage, covering the battalion’s front. A shell landed near one of the positions, wounding the gunner, killing the assistant gunner, and destroying the weapon. Even though enemy shells were falling dangerously near, S/Sgt. McCall crawled across the treacherous terrain and rendered first aid to the wounded man, dragging him into a position of cover with the help of another man.
The gunners of the second machinegun had been wounded from the fragments of an enemy shell, leaving S/Sgt. McCall the only remaining member of his machinegun section. Displaying outstanding aggressiveness, he ran forward with the weapon on his hip, reaching a point 30 yards from the enemy, where he fired 2 bursts of fire into the nest, killing or wounding all of the crew and putting the gun out of action. A second machinegun now opened fire upon him and he rushed its position, firing his weapon from the hip, killing 4 of the guncrew.
A third machinegun, 50 yards in rear of the first two, was delivering a tremendous volume of fire upon our troops. S/Sgt. McCall spotted its position and valiantly went toward it in the face of overwhelming enemy fire. He was last seen courageously moving forward on the enemy position, firing his machinegun from his hip. S/Sgt. McCall’s intrepidity and unhesitating willingness to sacrifice his life exemplify the highest traditions of the Armed Forces.
