Herschel F. Briles

He entered burning armour twice to rescue the wounded crews.

Herschel Floyd Briles was born at Colfax, Iowa, in February 1914. Raised in a large farming family, he entered the Army in February 1941 expecting to complete a short period of service before returning to livestock and farm work. The United States' entry into war changed that plan. He served with Company C, 899th Tank Destroyer Battalion, in North Africa and north-west Europe.

On 20 November 1944, near Scherpenseel in Germany, Staff Sergeant Briles led a platoon across an exposed slope. Artillery hit one destroyer, killing a crewman, wounding two others and setting the vehicle alight. Briles left his own protected position with another soldier, crossed the fire-swept ground and climbed into the burning turret. They removed the wounded, and he extinguished the fire.

The following morning, he engaged advancing German infantry with machine-gun fire. Fifty-five men surrendered, allowing American units that had been held apart to link up. Later the same day another destroyer was hit. Briles again helped evacuate wounded crewmen and returned to fight the flames despite the danger of exploding ammunition.

He remained with the battalion until the end of the war in Europe and left service as a first sergeant in June 1945. President Truman presented his Medal of Honor that August. Briles resumed farming in Iowa and married Wilma Telfer in January 1946. They raised three sons. He also held an interest in the Colfax Livestock Sales Company and participated in several veterans' organizations.

Briles died on 17 July 1994 and was buried at Waveland Cemetery, Prairie City. His post-war life returned him to the agricultural community he had left before Pearl Harbor.