Forrest E. Everhart

Repelled attacks on both flanks of his platoon

Forrest Eugene Everhart Sr. was born in Bainbridge, Ohio, on 28 August 1921. He served as a technical sergeant in Company H, 359th Infantry Regiment, 90th Infantry Division during World War II.

Before dawn on 12 November 1944, German forces counterattacked his platoon near Kerling, France. Everhart crossed four hundred yards under artillery and mortar fire to reinforce the left flank. He helped a remaining machine-gunner, then charged the attackers and drove them back in a grenade fight.

He returned across the exposed ground to the threatened right flank. There he rallied his soldiers, directed machine-gun fire and fought another grenade engagement. His leadership helped protect the American bridgehead across the Moselle River.

President Harry S. Truman presented his Medal of Honor on 23 August 1945. Everhart died in Philadelphia on 30 August 1986 and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. His citation honors his defense of both flanks under overwhelming pressure.

Medal of Honor citation

He commanded a platoon that bore the brunt of a desperate enemy counterattack near Korling, France, before dawn on 12 November 1944. When German tanks and self-propelled guns penetrated his left flank and overwhelming infantry forces threatened to overrun the one remaining machine-gun in that section, he ran 400 yards through woods churned by artillery and mortar concentrations to strengthen the defense. With the one remaining gunner, he directed furious fire into the advancing hordes until they swarmed close to the position. He left the gun, boldly charged the attackers, and, after a 15-minute exchange of hand grenades, forced them to withdraw leaving 30 dead behind. He recrossed the fire-swept terrain to his then threatened right flank, exhorted his men and directed murderous fire from the single machine-gun at that position. There, in the light of bursting mortar shells, he again closed with the enemy in a hand-grenade duel and, after a fierce 30-minute battle, forced the Germans to withdraw leaving another 20 dead. The gallantry and intrepidity of T/Sgt. Everhart in rallying his men and refusing to fall back in the face of terrible odds were highly instrumental in repelling the fanatical enemy counterattack directed at the American bridgehead across the Moselle River.