MOON, HAROLD H., JR. - Medal of Honor Recipient
Rank and organization: Private, U.S. Army, Company G, 34th Infantry,
24th Infantry Division. Place and date: Pawig, Leyte, Philippine Islands,
21 October 1944. Entered service at: Gardena, Calif. Birth: Albuquerque,
N. Mex. G.O. No.: 104, 15 November 1945. Citation: He fought with conspicuous
gallantry and intrepidity when powerful Japanese counterblows were being
struck in a desperate effort to annihilate a newly won beachhead. In a
forward position, armed with a submachinegun, he met the brunt of a strong,
well-supported night attack which quickly enveloped his platoon's flanks.
Many men in nearby positions were killed or injured, and Pvt. Moon was
wounded as his foxhole became the immediate object of a concentration of
mortar and machinegun fire. Nevertheless, he maintained his stand, poured
deadly fire into the enemy, daringly exposed himself to hostile fire time
after time to exhort and inspire what American troops were left in the
immediate area. A Japanese officer, covered by machinegun fire and hidden
by an embankment, attempted to knock out his position with grenades, but
Pvt. Moon, after protracted and skillful maneuvering, killed him. When
the enemy advanced a light machinegun to within 20 yards of the shattered
perimeter and fired with telling effects on the remnants of the platoon,
he stood up to locate the gun and remained exposed while calling back range
corrections to friendly mortars which knocked out the weapon. A little
later he killed 2 Japanese as they charged an aid man. By dawn his position,
the focal point of the attack for more than 4 hours, was virtually surrounded.
In a fanatical effort to reduce it and kill its defender, an entire platoon
charged with fixed bayonets. Firing from a sitting position, Pvt. Moon
calmly emptied his magazine into the advancing horde, killing 18 and repulsing
the attack. In a final display of bravery, he stood up to throw a grenade
at a machinegun which had opened fire on the right flank. He was hit and
instantly killed, falling in the position from which he had not been driven
by the fiercest enemy action. Nearly 200 dead Japanese were found within
100 yards of his foxhole. The continued tenacity, combat sagacity, and
magnificent heroism with which Pvt. Moon fought on against overwhelming
odds contributed in a large measure to breaking up a powerful enemy threat
and did much to insure our initial successes during a most important operation.
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