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Rank and organization: Corporal, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. Birth: 12
December 1924, Ada, Minn. Accredited to: Minnesota. Citation: For conspicuous
gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the
call of duty as leader of a machinegun squad serving with Company C, 1st
Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese
forces on Okinawa Shima in the Ryukyu Chain on 14 May 1945. Alert and aggressive
during a determined assault against a strongly fortified Japanese hill
position, Cpl. Hauge boldly took the initiative when his company's left
flank was pinned down under a heavy machinegun and mortar barrage with
resultant severe casualties and, quickly locating the 2 machineguns which
were delivering the uninterrupted stream of enfilade fire, ordered his
squad to maintain a covering barrage as he rushed across an exposed area
toward the furiously blazing enemy weapons. Although painfully wounded
as he charged the first machinegun, he launched a vigorous single-handed
grenade attack, destroyed the entire hostile gun position and moved relentlessly
forward toward the other emplacement despite his wounds and the increasingly
heavy Japanese fire. Undaunted by the savage opposition, he again hurled
his deadly grenades with unerring aim and succeeded in demolishing the
second enemy gun before he fell under the slashing fury of Japanese sniper
fire. By his ready grasp of the critical situation and his heroic 1-man
assault tactics, Cpl. Hauge had eliminated 2 strategically placed enemy
weapons, thereby releasing the besieged troops from an overwhelming volume
of hostile fire and enabling his company to advance. His indomitable fighting
spirit and decisive valor in the face of almost certain death reflect the
highest credit upon Cpl. Hauge and the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly
gave his life in the service of his country.
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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