- SURNAME
Towle
- FORENAME
John Roderick
- UNIT
504 Parachute Infantry Regiment (Company C)
- RANK
Private
- NUMBER
35053178
- AWARD
Medal of Honor
- PLACE
Holland 1944
- ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
KIA - see Roll of Honour
ROLL OF HONOUR:
https://www.specialforcesroh.com/index.php?threads/towle-john-roderick.20082/CITATION:
Medal of Honor : The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pride in presenting the Medal of Honor (Posthumously) to Private John Roderick Towle (ASN: 35053178), United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty on 21 September 1944, while serving with Company C, 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82d Airborne Division, in action near Oosterhout, Holland. The rifle company in which Private Towle served as rocket launcher gunner was occupying a defensive position in the west sector of the recently established Nijmegen bridgehead when a strong enemy force of approximately 100 infantry supported by two tanks and a half-track formed for a counterattack. With full knowledge of the disastrous consequences resulting not only to his company but to the entire bridgehead by an enemy breakthrough, Private Towle immediately and without orders left his foxhole and moved 200 yards in the face of intense small-arms fire to a position on an exposed dike roadbed. From this precarious position Private Towle fired his rocket launcher at and hit both tanks to his immediate front. Armored skirting on both tanks prevented penetration by the projectiles, but both vehicles withdrew slightly damaged. Still under intense fire and fully exposed to the enemy, Private Towle then engaged a nearby house which nine Germans had entered and were using as a strongpoint and with one round killed all nine. Hurriedly replenishing his supply of ammunition, Private Towle, motivated only by his high conception of duty which called for the destruction of the enemy at any cost, then rushed approximately 125 yards through grazing enemy fire to an exposed position from which he could engage the enemy half-track with his rocket launcher. While in a kneeling position preparatory to firing on the enemy vehicle, Private Towle was mortally wounded by a mortar shell. By his heroic tenacity, at the price of his life, Private Towle saved the lives of many of his comrades and was directly instrumental in breaking up the enemy counterattack.
WEB LINKS:
https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/2002
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