Harold L. Turner

He charged unaided and silenced four enemy machine-gun posts

Harold Leo Turner was born on May 5, 1898, in Aurora, Missouri. During World War I, he served as a corporal in Company F, 142nd Infantry, 36th Division.

On October 8, 1918, near St. Etienne, France, Turner helped organize a platoon of scouts, runners and Signal Corps soldiers. As its second in command, he led them through heavy fire. Machine guns reduced his group to four men and forced them into shelter.

When the enemy fire briefly shifted, Turner charged the nearby position alone with his bayonet fixed. His citation credits him with capturing 50 German soldiers and four machine guns, removing a strongpoint blocking his company's advance.

He received the Medal of Honor on May 2, 1919, and attained second lieutenant. Turner died on March 12, 1938, at Caddo Lake, Texas, and is buried at Little Cemetery in Oklahoma. His award commemorates decisive initiative under fire.

Medal of Honor Citation

After his platoon had started the attack, Cpl. Turner assisted in organizing a platoon consisting of the battalion scouts, runners, and a detachment of Signal Corps. As second in command of this platoon he fearlessly led them forward through heavy enemy fire, continually encouraging the men. Later he encountered deadly machine-gun fire which reduced the strength of his command to but four men, and these were obliged to take shelter.

The enemy machine-gun emplacement, 25 yards distant, kept up a continual fire from four machine guns. After the fire had shifted momentarily, Cpl. Turner rushed forward with fixed bayonet and charged the position alone, capturing the strong point with a complement of 50 Germans and four machine guns. His remarkable display of courage and fearlessness was instrumental in destroying the strong point, the fire from which had blocked the advance of his company.