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Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company F, 142d Infantry,
36th Infantry Division.
Place and Date:
St. Hippolyte, France, 3 December
1944. Entered service at: Bedford, Pa. Birth: Clearville, Pa. G.O. No.:
58, 19 July 1945. Citation: For commanding an assault squad in Company
F's attack against the strategically important Alsatian town of St. Hippolyte
on 3 December 1944. He aggressively led his men down a winding street,
clearing the houses of opposition as he advanced. Upon rounding a bend,
the group was suddenly brought under the fire of 2 machineguns emplaced
in the door and window of a house 100 yards distant. While his squad members
took cover, Sgt. Weicht moved rapidly forward to a high rock wall and,
fearlessly exposing himself to the enemy action, fired 2 clips of ammunition
from his rifle. His fire proving ineffective, he entered a house opposite
the enemy gun position, and, firing from a window, killed the 2 hostile
gunners. Continuing the attack, the advance was again halted when two 20-mm.
guns opened fire on the company. An artillery observer ordered friendly
troops to evacuate the area and then directed artillery fire upon the gun
positions. Sgt. Weicht remained in the shelled area and continued to fire
on the hostile weapons. When the barrage lifted and the enemy soldiers
attempted to remove their gun, he killed 2 crewmembers and forced the others
to flee. Sgt. Weicht continued to lead his squad forward until he spotted
a road block approximate 125 yards away. Moving to the second floor of
a nearby house and firing from a window, he killed 3 and wounded several
of the enemy. Instantly becoming a target for heavy and direct fire, he
disregarded personal safety to continue his fire, with unusual effectiveness,
until he was killed by a direct hit from an antitank gun.
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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