- SURNAME
Allen
- FORENAME
Harold C.
- UNIT
504 Parachute Infantry Regiment (HQ Company 1 Bn)
- RANK
First Lieutenant
- NUMBER
0-1292817
- AWARD
Silver Star
- PLACE
Europe
- ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
resided Fort Wayne, Indiana
CITATION:
Silver Star : The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to First Lieutenant (Infantry) Harold C. Allen (ASN: 0-1292817), United States Army, for gallantry in action while serving with Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82d Airborne Division, in action on 20 December 1944, near ****, Belgium. First Lieutenant Allen's platoon was in the fourth wave of his company's assault upon this heavily defended town. In the initial advance the Company Commander and platoon leader had become casualties along with many enlisted men due to the fierce hail of enemy cannon, machine gun and mortar fire which the first assaulting units had encountered. First Lieutenant Allen came forward and reorganized the remaining elements of the company. While directing the operations of the assault, he was exposed to the full concentration of enemy fire, and painfully wounded. Despite his wound, he led two men forward and knocked out a machine gun nest which was holding up the advance. When the advance was again halted by machine gun fire, First Lieutenant Allen crept forward and knocked out an enemy machine gun nest of two men. In this action he was again wounded but still refused evacuation until he had established a line of fire for the continuance of the advance. The intrepid and inspiring leadership and unselfish courage which First Lieutenant Allen demonstrated during this entire action contributed largely to the success of his company's accomplishment of this vital mission against superior odds of men and armor. His actions upheld the highest traditions of the Airborne Forces.
WEB LINKS:
https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/90178
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