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Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Company L, 15th
Infantry, 3d Infantry Division. Place and date: Sigolsheim, France, 27
December 1944. Entered service at: Georgetown, Tex. Birth: Florence, Tex.
G.O. No.: 79, 14 September 1945. Citation: While leading his platoon on
27 December 1944, in savage house-to-house fighting through the fortress
town of Sigolsheim, France, he attacked a building through a street swept
by withering mortar and automatic weapons fire. He was hit and severely
wounded in the arm and shoulder; but he charged into the house alone and
killed its 2 defenders. Hurling smoke and fragmentation grenades before
him, he reached the next house and stormed inside, killing 2 and capturing
11 of the enemy. He continued leading his platoon in the extremely dangerous
task of clearing hostile troops from strong points along the street until
he reached a building held by fanatical Nazi troops. Although suffering
from wounds which had rendered his left arm useless, he advanced on this
strongly defended house, and after blasting out a wall with bazooka fire,
charged through a hail of bullets. Wedging his submachinegun under his
uninjured arm, he rushed into the house through the hole torn by his rockets,
killed 5 of the enemy and forced the remaining 12 to surrender. As he emerged
to continue his fearless attack, he was again hit and critically wounded.
In agony and with 1 eye pierced by a shell fragment, he shouted for his
men to follow him to the next house. He was determined to stay in the fighting,
and remained at the head of his platoon until forcibly evacuated. By his
disregard for personal safety, his aggressiveness while suffering from
severe wounds, his determined leadership and superb courage, 1st Lt. Whiteley
killed 9 Germans, captured 23 more and spearheaded an attack which cracked
the core of enemy resistance in a vital area.
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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