15-155 Garand Picture of The Day -Ernest Childers MOH

[Mark in Rochester]

Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army, 45th Infantry Division. Place and date: At Oliveto, Italy, 22 September 1943. Entered service at: Tulsa, Okla. Birth: Broken Arrow, Okla. G.O. No.: 30, 8 April 1944. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty in action on 22 September 1943, at Oliveto, Italy. Although 2d Lt. Childers previously had just suffered a fractured instep he, with 8 enlisted men, advanced up a hill toward enemy machinegun nests. The group advanced to a rock wall overlooking a cornfield and 2d Lt. Childers ordered a base of fire laid across the field so that he could advance. When he was fired upon by 2 enemy snipers from a nearby house he killed both of them. He moved behind the machinegun nests and killed all occupants of the nearer one. He continued toward the second one and threw rocks into it. When the 2 occupants of the nest raised up, he shot 1. The other was killed by 1 of the 8 enlisted men. 2d Lt. Childers continued his advance toward a house farther up the hill, and single-handed, captured an enemy mortar observer. The exceptional leadership, initiative, calmness under fire, and conspicuous gallantry displayed by 2d Lt. Childers were an inspiration to his men.


Born
February 1, 1918
Broken Arrow, Oklahoma

Died
March 17, 2005 (aged 87)

Place of burial
Floral Haven Memorial Gardens, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma

Allegiance
United States of America

Service/branch
United States Army

Years of service
1937–1966

Rank
Lieutenant Colonel

Unit
180th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division

Battles/wars

World War II
Italian Campaign


Awards
Medal of Honor


Before the 1930s, the division's symbol was a red square with a yellow swastika, a tribute to the large Native American population in the southwestern United States

Information

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