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Rank and organization: Technical Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company H, 359th
Infantry, 90th Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Kerling, France,
12 November 1944. Entered service at: Texas City, Tex. Birth: Bainbridge,
Ohio. G.O. No.: 77, 10 September 1945. Citation: He commanded a platoon
that bore the brunt of a desperate enemy counterattack near Korling, France,
before dawn on 12 November 1944. When German tanks and self-propelled guns
penetrated his left flank and overwhelming infantry forces threatened to
overrun the 1 remaining machinegun in that section, he ran 400 yards through
woods churned by artillery and mortar concentrations to strengthen the
defense. With the 1 remaining gunner, he directed furious fire into the
advancing hordes until they swarmed close to the position. He left the
gun, boldly charged the attackers and, after a 15-minute exchange of hand
grenades, forced them to withdraw leaving 30 dead behind. He re-crossed
the fire-swept terrain to his then threatened right flank, exhorted his
men and directed murderous fire from the single machinegun at that position.
There, in the light of bursting mortar shells, he again closed with the
enemy in a hand grenade duel and, after a fierce 30-minute battle, forced
the Germans to withdraw leaving another 20 dead. The gallantry and intrepidity
of T/Sgt. Everhart in rallying his men and refusing to fall back in the
face of terrible odds were highly instrumental in repelling the fanatical
enemy counterattack directed at the American bridgehead across the Moselle
River.
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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