Harold O. Messerschmidt

He fought to save wounded comrades despite his grave wounds.

Harold O. Messerschmidt was born in 1924 in Grier City, Pennsylvania. During World War II, he served as a sergeant in Company L, 30th Infantry, 3rd Infantry Division.

On September 17, 1944, near Radden, France, Messerschmidt encouraged his squad to hold against a heavy assault. Automatic fire gravely wounded him, but he continued fighting. When his ammunition ran out and every other squad member had become a casualty, he used his empty submachine gun as a club.

He struck an attacker threatening a wounded comrade and continued resisting as friendly reinforcements approached. He was killed during the fighting. His posthumous Medal of Honor recognized his sustained defense and concern for fellow soldiers.

Messerschmidt is buried at Christ White Church Cemetery in Hometown, Pennsylvania. His award commemorates courage maintained despite wounds, isolation and exhausted ammunition.

Medal of Honor Citation

He displayed conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty. Braving machine-gun, machine pistol, and rifle fire, he moved fearlessly and calmly from man to man along his 40-yard squad front, encouraging each to hold against the overwhelming assault of a fanatical foe surging up the hillside.

Knocked to the ground by a burst from an enemy automatic weapon, he immediately jumped to his feet, and ignoring his grave wounds, fired his submachine gun at the enemy that was now upon them, killing five and wounding many others before his ammunition was spent. Virtually surrounded by a frenzied foe and all of his squad now casualties, he elected to fight alone, using his empty submachine gun as a bludgeon against his assailants.

Spotting one of the enemy about to kill a wounded comrade, he felled the German with a blow of his weapon. Seeing friendly reinforcements running up the hill, he continued furiously to wield his empty gun against the foe in a new attack, and it was thus that he made the supreme sacrifice. Sgt. Messerschmidt's sustained heroism in hand-to-hand combat with superior enemy forces was in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service.