THORSON, JOHN F. - Medal of Honor Recipient
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Company G, 17th
Infantry, 7th Infantry Division. Place and date: Dagami, Leyte, Philippine
Islands, 28 October 1944. Entered service at: Armstrong, lowa Birth: Armstrong,
lowa. G.O. No.: 58, 19 July 1945. Citation: He was an automatic rifleman
on 28 October 1944, in the attack on Dagami Leyte, Philippine Islands.
A heavily fortified enemy position consisting of pillboxes and supporting
trenches held up the advance of his company. His platoon was ordered to
out-flank and neutralize the strongpoint. Voluntarily moving well out in
front of his group, Pvt. Thorson came upon an enemy fire trench defended
by several hostile riflemen and, disregarding the intense fire directed
at him, attacked single-handed He was seriously wounded and fell about
6 yards from the trench. Just as the remaining 20 members of the platoon
reached him, 1 of the enemy threw a grenade into their midst. Shouting
a warning and making a final effort, Pvt. Thorson rolled onto the grenade
and smothered the explosion with his body. He was instantly killed, but
his magnificent courage and supreme self-sacrifice prevented the injury
and possible death of his comrades, and remain with them as a lasting inspiration.
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