MacGlLLlVARY, CHARLES A. - Medal of Honor Recipient
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company I, 71st Infantry,
44th Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Woelfling, France, 1 January
1945. Entered service at: Boston, Mass. Birth: Charlottetown, Prince Edward
Island, Canada. G.O. No.: 77, 10 September 1945. Citation: He led a squad
when his unit moved forward in darkness to meet the threat of a breakthrough
by elements of the 17th German Panzer Grenadier Division. Assigned to protect
the left flank, he discovered hostile troops digging in. As he reported
this information, several German machineguns opened fire, stopping the
American advance. Knowing the position of the enemy, Sgt. MacGillivary
volunteered to knock out 1 of the guns while another company closed in
from the right to assault the remaining strong points. He circled from
the left through woods and snow, carefully worked his way to the emplacement
and shot the 2 camouflaged gunners at a range of 3 feet as other enemy
forces withdrew. Early in the afternoon of the same day, Sgt. MacGillivary
was dispatched on reconnaissance and found that Company I was being opposed
by about 6 machineguns reinforcing a company of fanatically fighting Germans.
His unit began an attack but was pinned down by furious automatic and small
arms fire. With a clear idea of where the enemy guns were placed, he voluntarily
embarked on a lone combat patrol. Skillfully taking advantage of all available
cover, he stalked the enemy, reached a hostile machinegun and blasted its
crew with a grenade. He picked up a submachine gun from the battlefield
and pressed on to within 10 yards of another machinegun, where the enemy
crew discovered him and feverishly tried to swing their weapon into line
to cut him down. He charged ahead, jumped into the midst of the Germans
and killed them with several bursts. Without hesitation, he moved on to
still another machinegun, creeping, crawling, and rushing from tree to
tree, until close enough to toss a grenade into the emplacement and close
with its defenders. He dispatched this crew also, but was himself seriously
wounded. Through his indomitable fighting spirit, great initiative, and
utter disregard for personal safety in the face of powerful enemy resistance,
Sgt. MacGillivary destroyed four hostile machineguns and immeasurably helped
his company to continue on its mission with minimum casualties.
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