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Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Company M, 23d
Infantry, 2d Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Krinkelter Wald, Belgium,
17 December 1944. Entered service at: Wichita, Kans. Birth: Lincoln, Nebr.
G.O. No.: 48, 23 June 1945. Citation: He was a heavy machinegunner in a
section attached to Company I in the vicinity of Krinkelter Wald, Belgium,
17 December 1944, when that company was attacked by a numerically superior
force of German infantry and tanks. The first 6 waves of hostile infantrymen
were repulsed with heavy casualties, but a seventh drive with tanks killed
or wounded all but 3 of his section, leaving Pvt. Cowan to man his gun,
supported by only 15 to 20 riflemen of Company I. He maintained his position,
holding off the Germans until the rest of the shattered force had set up
a new line along a firebreak. Then, unaided, he moved his machinegun and
ammunition to the second position. At the approach of a Royal Tiger tank,
he held his fire until about 80 enemy infantrymen supporting the tank appeared
at a distance of about 150 yards. His first burst killed or wounded about
half of these infantrymen. His position was rocked by an 88mm. shell when
the tank opened fire, but he continued to man his gun, pouring deadly fire
into the Germans when they again advanced. He was barely missed by another
shell. Fire from three machineguns and innumerable small arms struck all
about him; an enemy rocket shook him badly, but did not drive him from
his gun. Infiltration by the enemy had by this time made the position untenable,
and the order was given to withdraw. Pvt. Cowan was the last man to leave,
voluntarily covering the withdrawal of his remaining comrades. His heroic
actions were entirely responsible for allowing the remaining men to retire
successfully from the scene of their last-ditch stand.
This data was extracted from the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, U.S. Senate, Medal of Honor Recipients: 1863-1973 (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1973)
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