Medal of Honor: Thomas W. Wigle, World War II, September 14, 1944

Thomas W. Wigle
World War II
September 14, 1944 – Monte Frassino, Italy

The rocky slopes of Monte Frassino were carved into terraces of stone walls, each one a fortress in itself. Company K of the 135th Infantry, 34th Infantry Division, had tried twice to take the enemy stronghold—and twice they were beaten back by a withering crossfire. Machine pistols and rifles raked the hillside, cutting men down and leaving the platoon without an officer to lead them.

Second Lieutenant Thomas W. Wigle, acting company executive, saw the crisis unfold. With no hesitation, he volunteered to take command of the 3rd Platoon for a third assault. It was a mission few thought survivable.

With fire raining down on him from above, Wigle urged his men forward. They clawed up the slope under concentrated fire, reaching the first stone wall. There, Wigle allowed himself to be boosted up, standing fully exposed atop the wall to draw enemy fire, his carbine blazing as he provided covering fire. His men, inspired by his defiance, scaled the wall behind him.

They repeated the maneuver again at the second wall, each time Wigle exposing himself to guide his men and to absorb the worst of the enemy’s fire. Finally, at the third wall, they confronted the core of the German defense: three houses clustered together, bristling with weapons.

Ordering his men to cover him, Wigle charged alone through a storm of machine-pistol fire into the nearest house. Firing as he went, he drove the defenders out the back door into the second house. He followed close behind, pushing them into the third, where they took refuge in the cellar. Wigle was relentless, determined to finish the fight himself.

It was there, on the cellar stairs of the final house, that his men found him—mortally wounded, still pressing forward to force the surrender of the enemy. His sacrifice was not in vain. His lone charge and fearless leadership broke the defense, resulting in the capture of 36 German soldiers and the seizure of the strongpoint that had cost so much.

Second Lieutenant Thomas W. Wigle’s gallantry was the spark that turned defeat into victory on Monte Frassino. He gave his life not only in battle but in the act of leading from the very front, inspiring his men to achieve the impossible.

Medal of Honor Citation

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty in the vicinity of Monte Frassino, Italy. The 3d Platoon, in attempting to seize a strongly fortified hill position protected by 3 parallel high terraced stone walls, was twice thrown back by the withering crossfire. 2d Lt. Wigle, acting company executive, observing that the platoon was without an officer, volunteered to command it on the next attack. Leading his men up the bare, rocky slopes through intense and concentrated fire, he succeeded in reaching the first of the stone walls. Having himself boosted to the top and perching there in full view of the enemy, he drew and returned their fire while his men helped each other up and over. Following the same method, he successfully negotiated the second. Upon reaching the top of the third wall, he faced 3 houses which were the key point of the enemy defense. Ordering his men to cover him, he made a dash through a hail of machine-pistol fire to reach the nearest house. Firing his carbine as he entered, he drove the enemy before him out of the back door and into the second house. Following closely on the heels of the foe, he drove them from this house into the third where they took refuge in the cellar. When his men rejoined him, they found him mortally wounded on the cellar stairs which he had started to descend to force the surrender of the enemy. His heroic action resulted in the capture of 36 German soldiers and the seizure of the strongpoint.