Horace M. Thorne

An exposed machine-gun stand on a disabled tank

Horace Marvin Thorne received the Medal of Honor for leading a combat patrol in Belgium during World War II. Born in Keansburg, New Jersey, on September 29, 1918, he served as a corporal in Troop D, 89th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, 9th Armored Division.

On December 21, 1944, near Grufflingen, Thorne’s patrol was ordered to dislodge German troops from wooded positions. After supporting American tanks immobilized an enemy tank, he advanced alone through fire and used grenades against its crew. He then carried his machine gun onto the disabled tank and fired from its exposed rear deck, forcing enemy gun crews to retreat. When his weapon jammed, he remained to clear it and was killed.

Thorne’s Medal of Honor was awarded posthumously. He was buried in Fairview Cemetery in Red Bank, New Jersey. His award honors the initiative and sacrifice that helped his patrol accomplish its mission.

Official Medal of Honor citation

He was the leader of a combat patrol on 21 December 1944, near Grufflingen, Belgium, with the mission of driving German forces from dug-in positions in a heavily wooded area. As he advanced his light machine gun, a German Mark III tank emerged from the enemy position and was quickly immobilized by fire from American light tanks supporting the patrol. Two of the enemy tankmen attempted to abandon their vehicle but were killed by Cpl. Thorne's shots before they could jump to the ground. To complete the destruction of the tank and its crew, Cpl. Thorne left his covered position and crept forward alone through intense machine-gun fire until close enough to toss two grenades into the tank's open turret, killing two more Germans. He returned across the same fire-beaten zone as heavy mortar fire began falling in the area, seized his machine gun, and, without help, dragged it to the knocked-out tank and set it up on the vehicle's rear deck. He fired short rapid bursts into the enemy positions from his advantageous but exposed location, killing or wounding eight. Two enemy machine-gun crews abandoned their positions and retreated in confusion. His gun jammed; but rather than leave his self-chosen post he attempted to clear the stoppage; enemy small-arms fire, concentrated on the tank, killed him instantly. Cpl. Thorne, displaying heroic initiative and intrepid fighting qualities, inflicted costly casualties on the enemy and insured the success of his patrol's mission by the sacrifice of his life.