|
Rank and organization: Lieutenant Colonel, U.S . Army, 1st Battalion,
1 5th Infantry, 3d Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Sigolsheim,
France, 26 December 1944. Entered service at: Glendale, Calif. Birth: 23
November 1915, Denver, Colo. G.O. No.: 47, 18 June 1945. Citation: Commanding
the 1st Battalion attacking a strongly held enemy position on a hill near
Sigolsheim, France, on 26 December 1944, found that 1 of his assault companies
had been stopped and forced to dig in by a concentration of enemy artillery,
mortar, and machinegun fire. The company had suffered casualties in attempting
to take the hill. Realizing that his men must be inspired to new courage,
Lt. Col. Ware went forward 150 yards beyond the most forward elements of
his command, and for 2 hours reconnoitered the enemy positions, deliberately
drawing fire upon himself which caused the enemy to disclose his dispositions.
Returning to his company, he armed himself with an automatic rifle and
boldly advanced upon the enemy, followed by 2 officers, 9 enlisted men,
and a tank. Approaching an enemy machinegun, Lt. Col. Ware shot 2 German
riflemen and fired tracers into the emplacement, indicating its position
to his tank, which promptly knocked the gun out of action. Lt. Col. Ware
turned his attention to a second machinegun, killing 2 of its supporting
riflemen and forcing the others to surrender. The tank destroyed the gun.
Having expended the ammunition for the automatic rifle, Lt. Col. Ware took
up an Ml rifle, killed a German rifleman, and fired upon a third machinegun
50 yards away. His tank silenced the gun. Upon his approach to a fourth
machinegun, its supporting riflemen surrendered and his tank disposed of
the gun. During this action Lt. Col. Ware's small assault group was fully
engaged in attacking enemy positions that were not receiving his direct
and personal attention. Five of his party of 11 were casualties and Lt.
Col. Ware was wounded but refused medical attention until this important
hill position was cleared of the enemy and securely occupied by his command.
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)
| | |