George Benjamin Jr.

With his pistol, he led the attack and reported while dying.

George Benjamin Jr. was born in Philadelphia on 24 April 1919 and later lived in New Jersey. He attended Woodbury High School and worked as an accountant and auditor before entering the United States Army in August 1943. Married before his overseas service, he was one of many civilian workers whose lives were redirected into wartime infantry service.

Benjamin became a private first class in Company A, 306th Infantry Regiment, 77th Infantry Division. As a radio operator, he provided the communications linking his company’s fighting elements with its commanders. In December 1944 his regiment was fighting on Leyte during the campaign to liberate the Philippines.

On 21 December, a strongly defended Japanese position stopped the advance of his battalion. When a rifle platoon supporting a light tank hesitated, Benjamin left his comparatively sheltered position and ran toward the tank, shouting and signalling for the soldiers to follow. Carrying his bulky radio and armed with a pistol, he pushed into the defended area, overcame a man in a foxhole and attacked a machine-gun crew. He continued urging the attack forward until he was gravely wounded.

Even after evacuation to an aid station, he remained concerned with the assault. Despite severe pain, he asked for the battalion operations officer and reported the location of enemy weapons and other tactical information obtained during his advance. He died of his wounds on 22 December.

His Medal of Honor was authorized posthumously in June 1945 and presented to his widow. Benjamin is buried at Manila American Cemetery. His final contribution combined personal leadership at the point of attack with the tactical information he gathered during the advance.