Edward Carl Dahlgren

One American platoon was surrounded, a German counterattack threatened to overwhelm its position, and one soldier refused to let his comrades be abandoned. On 11 February 1945, Sergeant Edward Carl Dahlgren repeatedly attacked German strongpoints at Oberhoffen, France, helping rescue an isolated American platoon and earning the United States Medal of Honor.

Born on 14 March 1916 in Perham, Maine, Edward C. Dahlgren entered the United States Army in March 1943. During the Second World War, he served with Company E, 2nd Battalion, 142nd Infantry Regiment, 36th Infantry Division. His defining moment came at Oberhoffen, where he led the 3rd Platoon through intense enemy fire to reach American soldiers surrounded by a German counterattack. From a barn window, he opened submachine-gun fire on approaching German troops, killing six and disrupting their advance. He then continued through the town, attacking enemy-held buildings with grenades and rifle grenades, destroying machine-gun positions and forcing numerous German soldiers to surrender. His repeated assaults helped repel the counterattack and save the isolated platoon.

His Medal of Honor was authorized under War Department General Orders No. 77, dated 10 September 1945. President Harry S. Truman presented the decoration to Dahlgren at the White House on 23 August 1945. His earlier combat service was also recognized with the Bronze Star Medal. Headquarters, 36th Infantry Division, General Orders No. 32, dated 17 February 1945, documented an Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a second Bronze Star Medal for heroic achievement in combat on 8 October 1944. His other reported wartime honours included the Silver Star, Purple Heart, Army Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with a Silver Service Star, and World War II Victory Medal.

The 142nd Infantry Regiment also earned the Presidential Unit Citation for its fighting along the Siegfried Line and the French Croix de Guerre with Palm for its service in the Vosges. These were regimental honours, distinct from Dahlgren's individual decorations. He was additionally presented with the French Legion of Honour in April 2006, shortly before his death.

Following the war, Dahlgren left military service as a Second Lieutenant and returned to Maine. He worked as a seed potato inspector and remained involved in his community and veterans' organizations. Edward Carl Dahlgren died on 31 May 2006 in Mars Hill, Maine, aged 90. He was buried at Pierce Cemetery.

Edward C. Dahlgren's actions at Oberhoffen remain a remarkable example of battlefield leadership, courage under fire and devotion to fellow soldiers. His Medal of Honor recognizes a soldier who repeatedly placed himself in danger to save the lives of American servicemen.