Robert H. Dietz

Clearing defended bridges for an armored advance

Robert H. Dietz earned the Medal of Honor at Kirchain, Germany, on March 29, 1945. A staff sergeant in Company A, 38th Armored Infantry Battalion, 7th Armored Division, he advanced against rocket-launching teams guarding two bridges.

Working ahead of the stalled American column, Dietz overcame defenders and entered the water beneath the second bridge to disconnect demolition charges. He completed the task but was killed while signaling that the route was open. His actions cleared the way for the advance into the town.

Born in Kingston, New York, on February 22, 1921, Dietz received the Medal of Honor posthumously. He is buried at Wiltwych Rural Cemetery in Kingston.

Medal of Honor citation

He was a squad leader when the task force to which his unit was attached encountered resistance in its advancing on Kirchain, Germany. Between the town's outlying buildings 300 yards distant and the stalled armored column were a minefield and two bridges defended by German rocket-launching teams and riflemen. From the town itself came heavy small-arms fire. Moving forward with his men to protect engineers while they removed the minefield and the demolition charges attached to the bridges, SSgt. Dietz came under intense fire. On his own initiative he advanced alone, scorning the bullets which struck all around him, until he was able to kill the bazooka team defending the first bridge. He continued ahead and had killed another bazooka team, bayoneted an enemy soldier armed with a panzerfaust, and shot two Germans when he was knocked to the ground by another blast of another panzerfaust. He quickly recovered, killed the man who had fired at him, and then jumped into waist-deep water under the second bridge to disconnect the demolition charges. His work was completed; but as he stood up to signal that the route was clear he was killed by another enemy volley from the left flank. SSgt. Dietz by his intrepidity and valiant effort on his self-imposed mission, singlehandedly opened the road for the capture of Kirchain and left with his comrades an inspiring example of gallantry in the face of formidable odds.