Berger Loman

Advanced alone through machine-gun fire and captured a gun near Consenvoye

Berger Holton Loman was born in Bergen, Norway, on 24 August 1886. He entered the United States Army at Chicago, Illinois, and served in Company H, 132nd Infantry Regiment, 33rd Division. The regiment was part of the American Expeditionary Forces in France during the final year of the First World War. Loman held the rank of private during the action for which he received the Medal of Honor; he later rose to corporal.

On 9 October 1918, near Consenvoye, France, Loman’s company advanced toward its objective under heavy German machine-gun fire. When the rest of the company took cover, Loman moved forward alone. He crawled around to the flank of the machine gun, then killed or captured its crew. He turned the captured weapon against German troops who were retreating. His action removed a major obstacle to the company’s advance and became the basis of his Medal of Honor award.

The War Department announced the decoration in General Orders No. 16 of 1919. General John J. Pershing presented the medal to Loman at Chaumont, France, on 9 February 1919. Loman survived the war and returned to civilian life. The surviving recipient records identify his birthplace, enlistment city, wartime unit, action, and later rank, but provide little detail about his civilian occupation or family life.

Loman died in Largo, Florida, on 9 May 1968. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, where his grave is recorded in section 37, grave 4909. His citation preserves a brief account of a soldier who left cover under machine-gun fire, attacked the gun crew on his own, and used the captured weapon to help turn back the enemy.

Medal of Honor citation

“When his company had reached a point within 100 yards of its objective, to which it was advancing under terrific machinegun fire, Pvt. Loman voluntarily and unaided made his way forward after all others had taken shelter from the direct fire of an enemy machine gun. He crawled to a flank position of the gun and, after killing or capturing the entire crew, turned the machine gun on the retreating enemy.”

Sources

1. U.S. War Department, General Orders No. 16, 1919, as transcribed in the U.S. Army’s “World War I Medal of Honor Recipients, Citations,” entry for Berger Loman. 2. Congressional Medal of Honor Society, “Berger Holton Loman,” recipient record. 3. Arlington National Cemetery, “World War I Medal of Honor Recipients,” burial location listing for Berger Holton Loman.