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Beyer, Arthur Otto

Date of birth:
May 20th, 1909 (Rock Township, Mitchell County/Iowa, United States)
Date of death:
February 16th, 1965 (St. Ansgar, Mitchell County/Iowa, United States)
Nationality:
American (1776 - present, Republic)

Biography

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Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Corporal
Unit:
Company C, 603rd Tank Destroyer Battalion, 6th Armored Division "Super Sixth", U.S. Army
Awarded on:
August 30th, 1945
"He displayed conspicuous gallantry in action. His platoon, in which he was a M-10 tank-destroyer gunner, was held up by antitank, machinegun, and rifle fire from enemy troops dug in along a ridge about 200 yards to the front. Noting a machinegun position in this defense line, he fired upon it with his 76-mm. gun killing 1 man and silencing the weapon. He dismounted from his vehicle and, under direct enemy observation, crossed open ground to capture the 2 remaining members of the crew. Another machinegun, about 250 yards to the left, continued to fire on him. Through withering fire, he advanced on the position. Throwing a grenade into the emplacement, he killed 1 crewmember and again captured the 2 survivors. He was subjected to concentrated small-arms fire but, with great bravery, he worked his way a quarter mile along the ridge, attacking hostile soldiers in their foxholes with his carbine and grenades. When he had completed his self-imposed mission against powerful German forces, he had destroyed 2 machinegun positions, killed 8 of the enemy and captured 18 prisoners, including 2 bazooka teams. Cpl. Beyer's intrepid action and unflinching determination to close with and destroy the enemy eliminated the German defense line and enabled his task force to gain its objective."
Medal of Honor - Army (MoH)

Sources

  • - Jordan, Kenneth N., Yesterday’s Heroes – 433 men of World War II awarded the Medal of Honor 1941-1945, Schiffer Publishing Ltd., USA, 1996
    - Hofmann, G.F., The Super Sixth – History of the 6th Armored Division in World War II, The Battery Press, Nashville, USA, 2000
    - Delaforce, P., Het Ardennenoffensief - Hitlers laatste gok, Pearson Education Benelux, Amsterdam, 2005
    - medalofhonor.com

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