Born: September 11, 1918
War: World War II
Rank: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army
Location of Action: Near Bastogne, Belgium
Date of Action: January 11, 1945
Official Medal of Honor Citation: He charged 30 yards through hip-deep snow to knock
out a machinegun and its 3-man crew with grenades, saving his platoon from being
decimated and allowing it to continue its advance from an open field into some nearby woods.
The platoon's advance through the woods had only begun when a machinegun supported by riflemen
opened fire and a Tiger Royal tank sent 88mm. shells screaming at the unit from the left flank.
S/Sgt. Gammon, disregarding all thoughts of personal safety, rushed forward, then cut to the
left, crossing the width of the platoon's skirmish line in an attempt to get within
grenade range of the tank and its protecting foot troops.
Intense fire was concentrated on him by riflemen and the machinegun emplaced near the tank.
He charged the automatic weapon, wiped out its crew of 4 with grenades, and, with supreme
daring, advanced to within 25 yards of the armored vehicle, killing 2 hostile infantrymen
with rifle fire as he moved forward. The tank had started to withdraw, backing a short
distance, then firing, backing some more, and then stopping to blast out another round,
when the man whose single-handed relentless attack had put the ponderous machine on the
defensive was struck and instantly killed by a direct hit from the Tiger Royal's heavy gun.
By his intrepidity and extreme devotion to the task of driving the enemy back no matter
what the odds, S/Sgt. Gammon cleared the woods of German forces, for the tank continued to
withdraw, leaving open the path for the gallant squad leader's platoon.
ARCHER T. GAMMON
