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Rank and organization: Private, U.S. Army, 148th Infantry, 37th Infantry
Division. Place and date: On New Georgia, Solomon Islands, 31 July 1943.
Entered service at: Clyde, Ohio. Birth: Tiffin, Ohio. G.O. No.: 3, 6 January
1944. Citation: On 31 July 1943, the infantry company of which Pvt. Young
was a member, was ordered to make a limited withdrawal from the battle
line in order to adjust the battalion's position for the night. At this
time, Pvt. Young's platoon was engaged with the enemy in a dense jungle
where observation was very limited. The platoon suddenly was pinned down
by intense fire from a Japanese machinegun concealed on higher ground only
75 yards away. The initial burst wounded Pvt. Young. As the platoon started
to obey the order to withdraw, Pvt. Young called out that he could see
the enemy emplacement, whereupon he started creeping toward it. Another
burst from the machinegun wounded him the second time. Despite the wounds,
he continued his heroic advance, attracting enemy fire and answering with
rifle fire. When he was close enough to his objective, he began throwing
handgrenades, and while doing so was hit again and killed. Pvt. Young's
bold action in closing with this Japanese pillbox and thus diverting its
fire, permitted his platoon to disengage itself, without loss, and was
responsible for several enemy casualties.
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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