Medal of Honor: Vito R. Bertoldo – World War II – France – January 1945
When enemy armor and infantry overran the line, he chose to stand alone between command posts and annihilation. For two days and nights, he refused to yield ground, turning sheer resolve into a fortress of one man.
January 13, 2026
Name: Vito R. Bertoldo
Rank: Master Sergeant
Organization: U.S. Army
Unit: Company A, 242d Infantry Regiment, 42d Infantry Division
Place: Hatten, France
Entered Service At: Decatur, Illinois
Born: Decatur, Illinois
Summary of Action
On 9–10 January 1945, Master Sergeant Vito R. Bertoldo fought with extraordinary gallantry during the defense of command posts in the village of Hatten, France, as German infantry and armored forces overran the battalion’s main line of resistance.
As enemy troops closed in, M/Sgt. Bertoldo left the protection of the building he was defending and set up his machine gun in the open street. For nearly twelve hours, fully exposed to direct tank fire, machinegun fire, and small-arms fire, he drove back repeated attacks. When forced back inside, he lashed his machine gun to a table and continued firing through a window, covering the main avenue of approach while enemy tanks fired 88-mm shells from as close as seventy-five yards away.
At one point, an artillery blast hurled him across the room, yet he returned immediately to his weapon. When two enemy personnel carriers led by a tank advanced on his position, he waited until the troops dismounted, then leaned from the window under direct tank fire and killed more than twenty German soldiers in seconds.
Ordered to withdraw when the command post relocated, M/Sgt. Bertoldo voluntarily remained behind, covering the movement of his comrades throughout the night. At dawn, he carried his machine gun to another battalion command post and began a second full day of defense. He broke up a heavy attack by a self-propelled 88-mm gun supported by a tank and infantry, and when another enemy gun was pushed to within feet of his position and fired directly into the room, he was again knocked down and stunned. Despite his injuries, he returned to his weapon and killed several enemy soldiers attempting to withdraw.
As darkness fell and evacuation was planned, the enemy launched a final assault supported by tanks and heavy guns. Ignoring the devastating barrage, M/Sgt. Bertoldo stood his ground, hurling white phosphorous grenades until the attackers broke and retreated. When a tank less than fifty yards away destroyed his machine gun and blasted him across the room once more, he rose again, seized a rifle, and single-handedly covered the final withdrawal of his fellow soldiers.
For more than forty-eight hours without rest or relief, Master Sergeant Bertoldo held off vastly superior forces, killing at least forty enemy soldiers and wounding many more. His indomitable courage, relentless determination, and refusal to yield transformed a desperate defense into a stand that saved countless lives.
Medal of Honor Citation
He moved back inside the command post, strapped his machinegun to a table and covered the main approach to the building by firing through a window, remaining steadfast even in the face of 88-mm. fire from tanks only 75 yards away. One shell blasted him across the room, but he returned to his weapon. When 2 enemy personnel carriers led by a tank moved toward his position, he calmly waited for the troops to dismount and then, with the tank firing directly at him, leaned out of the window and mowed down the entire group of more than 20 Germans.
Some time later, removal of the command post to another building was ordered. M/Sgt. Bertoldo voluntarily remained behind, covering the withdrawal of his comrades and maintaining his stand all night. In the morning he carried his machinegun to an adjacent building used as the command post of another battalion and began a day-long defense of that position.
He broke up a heavy attack launched by a self-propelled 88-mm. gun covered by a tank and about 15 infantrymen. Soon afterward another 88-mm. weapon moved up to within a few feet of his position and fired into the room, knocking him down and seriously wounding others. After an American bazooka team set the German weapon afire, M/Sgt. Bertoldo returned to his machinegun and killed several hostile troops as they attempted to withdraw.
Before evacuation could be completed, the enemy launched an intensive assault supported by tanks and heavy guns. Disregarding the devastating barrage, he hurled white phosphorous grenades into the advancing enemy until they retreated. When a tank less than 50 yards away destroyed his machinegun and blew him across the room again, he returned once more to the fight and, armed with a rifle, single-handedly covered the withdrawal of his fellow soldiers.
With inspiring bravery and intrepidity, M/Sgt. Bertoldo withstood the attack of vastly superior forces for more than 48 hours without rest or relief, killing at least 40 enemy soldiers and wounding many more.
