HALL, GEORGE J. - Medal of Honor Recipient
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, 135th Infantry, 34th
Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Anzio, Italy, 23 May 1944.
Entered Service at:
Boston, Mass. Birth: 9 January 1921, Stoneham, Mass. G.O. No.:
24, 6 April 1945. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at
risk of life above and beyond the call of duty. Attacking across flat,
open terrain under direct enemy observation, S/Sgt. Hall's company was
pinned down by grazing fire from 3 enemy machineguns and harassing sniper
fire. S/Sgt. Hall volunteered to eliminate these obstacles in the path
of advance. Crawling along a plowed furrow through furious machinegun fire,
he made his way to a point within hand grenade range of 1 of the enemy
positions. He pounded the enemy with 4 hand grenades, and when the smoke
had died away, S/Sgt. Hall and 2 dead Germans occupied the position, while
4 of the enemy were crawling back to our lines as prisoners. Discovering
a quantity of German potato-masher grenades in the position, S/Sgt. Hall
engaged the second enemy nest in a deadly exchange of grenades. Each time
he exposed himself to throw a grenade the Germans fired machinegun bursts
at him. The vicious duel finally ended in S/Sgt. Hall's favor with 5 of
the enemy surrendered and 5 others lay dead. Turning his attention to the
third machinegun, S/Sgt. Hall left his position and crawled along a furrow,
the enemy firing frantically in an effort to halt him. As he neared his
final objective, an enemy artillery concentration fell on the area, and
S/Sgt. Hall's right leg was severed by a shellburst. With 2 enemy machineguns
eliminated, his company was able to flank the third and continue its advance
without incurring excessive casualties. S/Sgt. Hall's fearlessness, his
determined fighting spirit, and his prodigious combat skill exemplify the
heroic tradition of the American Infantryman.
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