Medal of Honor: Willibald C. Bianchi – U.S. Army (Philippine Scouts) – Bataan – 1942

Name: Willibald C. Bianchi
Rank: First Lieutenant
Branch: U.S. Army (Philippine Scouts)
Unit: 45th Infantry, Philippine Scouts
Place: Near Bagac, Bataan Province, Philippine Islands
Entered Service At: New Ulm, Minnesota
Born: New Ulm, Minnesota
Status: Survived (later Prisoner of War)

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Summary of Action

As the Battle of Bataan raged and American and Philippine forces fought desperately against overwhelming Japanese attacks, a rifle platoon was ordered to eliminate two heavily defended enemy machine-gun nests near Bagac.

Without orders and purely on his own initiative, 1st Lt. Willibald C. Bianchi advanced with the assaulting platoon, personally leading part of the force. Early in the attack he was struck by two bullets through his left hand. Refusing first aid, he discarded his rifle and continued the fight with a pistol.

Pressing forward under intense fire, Lt. Bianchi located one of the enemy machine-gun nests and personally silenced it with grenades. Moments later, he was wounded a second time, struck by two machine-gun bullets through the chest muscles.

Still refusing to withdraw, Lt. Bianchi climbed onto the top of an American tank, manned its antiaircraft machine gun, and fired directly into strongly held enemy positions. Only after being hit a third time—so severely that he was knocked completely off the tank—was he finally forced out of action.

His relentless courage under repeated wounds embodied the last-ditch valor displayed on Bataan and stands as one of the most extraordinary individual actions of the campaign.

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Medal of Honor Citation

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action with the enemy on 3 February 1942, near Bagac, Province of Bataan, Philippine Islands. When the rifle platoon of another company was ordered to wipe out 2 strong enemy machinegun nests, 1st Lt. Bianchi voluntarily and of his own initiative, advanced with the platoon leading part of the men. When wounded early in the action by 2 bullets through the left hand, he did not stop for first aid but discarded his rifle and began firing a pistol. He located a machinegun nest and personally silenced it with grenades. When wounded the second time by 2 machinegun bullets through the chest muscles, 1st Lt. Bianchi climbed to the top of an American tank, manned its antiaircraft machinegun, and fired into strongly held enemy position until knocked completely off the tank by a third severe wound.