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Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company K, 120th Infantry,
30th Infantry Division. Place and date: Malmedy, Belgium, 21 December 1944.
Entered service at: Hurleyville, N.Y. Birth: Loch Sheldrake, N.Y. G.O.
No.: 69, 17 August 1945. Citation: He was an automatic rifleman with the
3d Platoon defending a strong point near Malmedy, Belgium, on 21 December
1944, when the enemy launched a powerful attack. Overrunning tank destroyers
and antitank guns located near the strong point, German tanks advanced
to the 3d Platoon's position, and, after prolonged fighting, forced the
withdrawal of this group to a nearby factory. Sgt. Currey found a bazooka
in the building and crossed the street to secure rockets meanwhile enduring
intense fire from enemy tanks and hostile infantrymen who had taken up
a position at a house a short distance away. In the face of small-arms,
machinegun, and artillery fire, he, with a companion, knocked out a tank
with 1 shot. Moving to another position, he observed 3 Germans in the doorway
of an enemy-held house. He killed or wounded all 3 with his automatic rifle.
He emerged from cover and advanced alone to within 50 yards of the house,
intent on wrecking it with rockets. Covered by friendly fire, he stood
erect, and fired a shot which knocked down half of 1 wall. While in this
forward position, he observed 5 Americans who had been pinned down for
hours by fire from the house and 3 tanks. Realizing that they could not
escape until the enemy tank and infantry guns had been silenced, Sgt. Currey
crossed the street to a vehicle, where he procured an armful of antitank
grenades. These he launched while under heavy enemy fire, driving the tankmen
from the vehicles into the house. He then climbed onto a half-track in
full view of the Germans and fired a machinegun at the house. Once again
changing his position, he manned another machinegun whose crew had been
killed; under his covering fire the 5 soldiers were able to retire to safety.
Deprived of tanks and with heavy infantry casualties, the enemy was forced
to withdraw. Through his extensive knowledge of weapons and by his heroic
and repeated braving of murderous enemy fire, Sgt. Currey was greatly responsible
for inflicting heavy losses in men and material on the enemy, for rescuing
5 comrades, 2 of whom were wounded, and for stemming an attack which threatened
to flank his battalion's position.
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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