Beryl Newman

Silenced three machine guns and captured eleven men

Beryl Richard Newman earned the Medal of Honor for a solitary attack against German defenses near Cisterna, Italy, on 26 May 1944. The first lieutenant led a platoon in Company F, 2nd Battalion, 133rd Infantry, 34th Infantry Division.

Born in Baraboo, Wisconsin, on 2 November 1911, Newman was accredited to his hometown. Machine-gun fire halted his men during the attack on the Anzio-Nettuno defense line. He located the positions while standing under fire, directed his squads and then advanced alone when one was pinned down. His attack silenced three guns and ended with eleven German soldiers surrendering inside a house.

Newman studied agriculture, played football and completed ROTC at North Dakota State. He entered the Army on 5 November 1941. He was wounded in North Africa and Sicily before the fighting at Anzio. After the Anzio operation, a tank in which he was riding struck a mine and he suffered a concussion that ended his military career. After the war he worked as a commercial oysterman and crab fisherman in Virginia.

Official Medal of Honor citation

“For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty on 26 May 1944. Attacking the strongly held German Anzio-Nettuno defense line near Cisterna, Italy, 1st Lt. Newman, in the lead of his platoon, was suddenly fired upon by two enemy machine guns located on the crest of a hill about 100 yards to his front. The four scouts with him immediately hit the ground, but 1st Lt. Newman remained standing in order to see the enemy positions and his platoon then about 100 yards behind.

Locating the enemy nests, 1st Lt. Newman called back to his platoon and ordered one squad to advance to him and the other to flank the enemy to the right. Then, still standing upright in the face of enemy machine-gun fire, 1st Lt. Newman opened up with his tommy gun on the enemy nests. From this range, his fire was not effective in covering the advance of his squads, and one squad was pinned down by the enemy fire. Seeing that his squad was unable to advance, 1st Lt. Newman, in full view of the enemy gunners and in the face of their continuous fire, advanced alone on the enemy nests. He returned their fire with his tommy gun and succeeded in wounding a German in each of the nests. The remaining two Germans fled from the position into a nearby house. Three more enemy soldiers then came out of the house and ran toward a third machine gun. First Lt. Newman, still relentlessly advancing toward them, killed one before he reached the gun, the second before he could fire it.

The third fled for his life back into the house. Covering his assault by firing into the doors and windows of the house, 1st Lt. Newman, boldly attacking by himself, called for the occupants to surrender to him. Gaining the house, he kicked in the door and went inside. Although armed with rifles and machine pistols, the 11 Germans there, apparently intimidated, surrendered to the lieutenant without further resistance. 1st Lt. Newman, singlehandedly, had silenced three enemy machine guns, wounded two Germans, killed two more, and taken 11 prisoners. This demonstration of sheer courage, bravery, and willingness to close with the enemy even in the face of such heavy odds, instilled into these green troops the confidence of veterans and reflect the highest traditions of the U.S. Armed Forces.”

President Franklin D. Roosevelt presented his medal on 10 January 1945. Newman later attained the rank of captain. He died in Remlik, Virginia, on 8 March 1998 and was buried in Wesleyan Church Cemetery there.