BIOGRAPHY:
First Lieutenant Walter J. Will is buried at Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial Margraten/Limburg, Netherlands. Plot: D, Row: 3, Grave: 32.
|
| |
|
|
 |
MEDAL OF HONOR - ARMY (MOH)
|
|
Rank:
|
1st Lieutenant (Lieutenant)
|
|
Unit:
|
Company K, 18th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division "The Big Red One" U.S. Army
|
|
Awarded on:
|
October 17th, 1945
|
|
Action:
|
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Company K 18th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Eisern, Germany, 30 March 1945. Entered service at: West Winfield, N.Y. Birth: Pittsburgh, Pa. G.O. No.: 88, 17 October 1945.
Citation:
He displayed conspicuous gallantry during an attack on powerful enemy positions. He courageously exposed himself to withering hostile fire to rescue 2 wounded men and then, although painfully wounded himself, made a third trip to carry another soldier to safety from an open area. Ignoring the profuse bleeding of his wound, he gallantly led men of his platoon forward until they were pinned down by murderous flanking fire from 2 enemy machineguns. He fearlessly crawled alone to within 30 feet of the first enemy position, killed the crew of 4 and silenced the gun with accurate grenade fire. He continued to crawl through intense enemy fire to within 20 feet of the second position where he leaped to his feet, made a lone, ferocious charge and captured the gun and its 9-man crew. Observing another platoon pinned down by 2 more German machineguns, he led a squad on a flanking approach and, rising to his knees in the face of direct fire, coolly and deliberately lobbed 3 grenades at the Germans, silencing 1 gun and killing its crew. With tenacious aggressiveness, he ran toward the other gun and knocked it out with grenade fire. He then returned to his platoon and led it in a fierce, inspired charge, forcing the enemy to fall back in confusion. 1st Lt. Will was mortally wounded in this last action, but his heroic leadership, indomitable courage, and unflinching devotion to duty live on as a perpetual inspiration to all those who witnessed his deeds.
|
|
Details:
|
Awarded posthumously.
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
| |
|
|
|
BRONZE STAR (BSM)
|
|
Details:
|
This award was obtained in the form of an Oak Leave to be attached on the ribbon of the first award.
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
PURPLE HEART
|
|
Rank:
|
1st Lieutenant (Lieutenant)
|
|
Unit:
|
Company K, 18th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division "The Big Red One" U.S. Army
|
|
|
 |
| |
| |
| |
Provide alterations or additional information |
| Picture source: |
- Strijdbewijs
- Picture grave: Hans Molier |
| Information source(s): |
- Jordan, Kenneth N., Yesterday’s Heroes – 433 men of World War II awarded the Medal of Honor 1941-1945, Schiffer Publishing Ltd., USA, 1996
- Baumer, R.W. & Reardon, M.J., American Iliad – The 18th Infantry Regiment in World War II, The Aberjona Press, Bedford, U.S.A., 2004
- American Battle Monuments Commission
- Strijdbewijs
- Wikipedia
|
|
 |
 |
)