Daily Wall: July 8

There are over 58,300 people currently listed on the Vietnam Memorial Wall.

I am listing them all, day by day(by date of loss), until I have gone through each and every one of them.

I am not cut/pasting these names, I feel a responsibility to type each of them individually. If you see any mistakes or omissions, please let me know so I can promptly correct them.

I encourage you to read them aloud, or at least read them all, each day.

We will never forget.

Pamela Dorothy Donovan (Brighton, MA)

_______

Edward J Almeida  1965

William O Anderson  1969

Howard V Andre Jr  1969

Vernon D Artis  1969

Bishop J Baranowski  1969

Jimmy O Barnes  1967

Charles E Beals  1971

Donald E Bear  1968

George H Beasley  1969

Ronald E Butler  1971

Ronald E Beutler  1971

Richard C Bram  1965

Edward L Bromely  1967

Thomas Brooks Jr  1969

Gene W Brown  1967

Vaughn L Brown  1968

Paul J Bruno  1965

Dale R Buis  1959

Robert N Burroughs  1968

Virgil A Calkins Jr  1969

Patrick R Callahan  1967

Russell B Carson  1969

Charles P Chandler  1969

Louis L Clanton  1968

Warren W Cobley  1966

Gerald S Colvin  1969

James L Cotten Jr  1967

Merritt T Cousins  1967

Donald L Covington  1969

James N Crocker Jr  1969

Stanley J Cruse  1970

James T Davis  1967

William G Dellvon  1967

Craig J Devore  1968

John F Dingwall  1965

Pamela D Donovan  1968

Gerlad Dunn  1967

Jack O Eitel  1965

Howard L Elder  1970

Stanley S Fenner  1969

Tony M Florez  1970

Harold L Frank  1970

John R Galabiz  1968

Robert V Gapinski  1969

William R Garner  1969

James A Gazdagh  1967

Salvatore A Geluso  1969

Bobby L Genrty  1969

Wesley O Grant  1969

Randolph E Graves  1970

Thomas Gregory Jr  1967

Marion T Griffin  1971

Donald L Grubb  1969

Lawrence C Harrigan  1966

Louis Hazel  1972

William R Hopkins  1968

Timothy Hren  1968

Frank W Humes  1969

Henry D Hunter  1969

James E Hupp  1970

Thomas W Hulrbut  1969

Edward D Jacobs Jr  1968

Anthony K Johnson  1967

Ronald E Johnson  1967

Perry K Jones  1967

James E Jordan Jr  1968

Charles D Kearney  1965

Harvey J Kinsey  1967

Donald H Kito  1967

Donald C Kyle  1968

Millard W Lehman  1966

Gary D Little  1967

Ronald L Longanecker  1966

Thomas V Malloy  1967

Daniel J Maloney  1970

James H Manning  1969

Lee E Marsh Jr  1970

John D Martin  1969

Samuel W McDaniel II  1971

Joseph F McDermott III  1970

Harry McEwing  1970

Louie J McFarland  1968

Larry G Moody  1965

Charles E Moore Jr  1968

George L Mummert  1969

John W Mursch  1970

James D Nansel  1968

William L Nettle  1970

Anthony A Neville  1969

Larry L Nieken  1970

Henry F Nugent Jr  1968

Chester M Ovnand  1959

Thomas B Owens  1970

Jim C Page  1969

Louis F Peralez  1968

Robert W Peterson  1969

Herbert L Phelps  1969

Wayne C Pisciotta  1971

William H Pritchard  1967

Mark P Raiford  1970

John S Reaves Jr  1969

Richard G Repole  1970

Donald J Reynolds  1967

Charles C Roberts  1966

Herbert W Roley  1968

Charles E Schafer  1966

Russell A Schwartz  1969

Rickey L Scott  1970

Roland M Sheredos  1968

Roy L Singletary  1969

William E Sisley  1969

James E Sizemore  1969

John D Skirvin  1970

Jim L Smith  1966

Herbert Smith Jr  1965

Douglas Soward  1968

Randal G Sowers  1970

John F Spangler  1970

Stefan Z Stalinski  1965

Allen R Stroud  1970

James J Sussmeier  1967

Donald B Thompson  1970

John C Todd  1969

Robert F Townes Jr  1972

William I Turner Jr  1968

Jesse Uptigrove  1969

James L Vaughan  1972

Robert J Voss  1965

Anthony Vultaggio  1969

John L Wadsworth  1970

Walter L Walker  1970

Howard C Williams  1968

Thomas L Wilson  1968

Jimmy R Young  1968

#TuesdaysTroops - 4th AD's Medals of Honor (WW2)

As we continue to go through some of the parts of the 3rd Army, I want to remember three individuals from the 4th Armored Division. The 4th is special to me because it is the division my father served in. We will get to that at a later date. The 4th was also the first entire division to be awarded the Presidential Unit Citation. That was for actions from December 22, 1944, during the Battle of the Bulge, to March 27, 1945, just after the crossing of the Rhine, as the spearhead of the 3rd Army's assault on German positions.

From September 14, 1944 through December 26, 1944, three men distinguished themselves above and beyond and were recognized and awarded the Medal of Honor for their actions. Those three men were, 1st Lt. James H. Fields of the 10th Armored Infantry Battalion, Pvt. James R. Hendrix of the 53rd Armored Infantry Battalion, and Sgt. Joseph J. Sadowski of the 37th Tank Battalion.

I will let the citations of these three men speak for themselves.

Joseph James Sadowski

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty at Valhey, France. On the afternoon of 14 September 1944, Sgt. Sadowski as a tank commander was advancing with the leading elements of Combat Command A, 4th Armored Division, through an intensely severe barrage of enemy fire from the streets and buildings of the town of Valhey. As Sgt. Sadowski's tank advanced through the hail of fire, it was struck by a shell from an 88-mm. gun fired at a range of 20 yards. The tank was disabled and burst into flames. The suddenness of the enemy attack caused confusion and hesitation among the crews of the remaining tanks of our forces. Sgt. Sadowski immediately ordered his crew to dismount and take cover in the adjoining buildings. After his crew had dismounted, Sgt. Sadowski discovered that 1 member of the crew, the bow gunner, had been unable to leave the tank. Although the tank was being subjected to a withering hail of enemy small-arms, bazooka, grenade, and mortar fire from the streets and from the windows of adjacent buildings, Sgt. Sadowski unhesitatingly returned to his tank and endeavored to pry up the bow gunner's hatch. While engaged in this attempt to rescue his comrade from the burning tank, he was cut down by a stream of machinegun fire which resulted in his death. The gallant and noble sacrifice of his life in the aid of his comrade, undertaken in the face of almost certain death, so inspired the remainder of the tank crews that they pressed forward with great ferocity and completely destroyed the enemy forces in this town without further loss to themselves. The heroism and selfless devotion to duty displayed by Sgt. Sadowski, which resulted in his death, inspired the remainder of his force to press forward to victory, and reflect the highest tradition of the armed forces.

James H. Fields 

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty, at Rechicourt, France. On September 27, 1944, during a sharp action with the enemy infantry and tank forces, 1st Lt. Fields personally led his platoon in a counterattack on the enemy position. Although his platoon had been seriously depleted, the zeal and fervor of his leadership was such as to inspire his small force to accomplish their mission in the face of overwhelming enemy opposition. Seeing that 1 of the men had been wounded, he left his slit trench and with complete disregard for his personal safety attended the wounded man and administered first aid. While returning to his slit trench he was seriously wounded by a shell burst, the fragments of which cut through his face and head, tearing his teeth, gums, and nasal passage. Although rendered speechless by his wounds, 1st Lt. Fields refused to be evacuated and continued to lead his platoon by the use of hand signals. On 1 occasion, when 2 enemy machineguns had a portion of his unit under deadly crossfire, he left his hole, wounded as he was, ran to a light machinegun, whose crew had been knocked out, picked up the gun, and fired it from his hip with such deadly accuracy that both the enemy gun positions were silenced. His action so impressed his men that they found new courage to take up the fire fight, increasing their firepower, and exposing themselves more than ever to harass the enemy with additional bazooka and machinegun fire. Only when his objective had been taken and the enemy scattered did 1st Lt. Fields consent to be evacuated to the battalion command post. At this point he refused to move further back until he had explained to his battalion commander by drawing on paper the position of his men and the disposition of the enemy forces. The dauntless and gallant heroism displayed by 1st Lt. Fields were largely responsible for the repulse of the enemy forces and contributed in a large measure to the successful capture of his battalion objective during this action. His eagerness and determination to close with the enemy and to destroy him was an inspiration to the entire command, and are in the highest traditions of the U.S. Armed Forces.

James Richard Hendrix

On the night of 26 December 1944, near Assenois, Belgium, he was with the leading element engaged in the final thrust to break through to the besieged garrison at Bastogne when halted by a fierce combination of artillery and small arms fire. He dismounted from his half-track and advanced against two 88mm. guns, and, by the ferocity of his rifle fire, compelled the guncrews to take cover and then to surrender. Later in the attack he again left his vehicle, voluntarily, to aid 2 wounded soldiers, helpless and exposed to intense machinegun fire. Effectively silencing 2 hostile machineguns, he held off the enemy by his own fire until the wounded men were evacuated. Pvt. Hendrix again distinguished himself when he hastened to the aid of still another soldier who was trapped in a burning half-track. Braving enemy sniper fire and exploding mines and ammunition in the vehicle, he extricated the wounded man and extinguished his flaming clothing, thereby saving the life of his fellow soldier. Pvt. Hendrix, by his superb courage and heroism, exemplified the highest traditions of the military service.

Fields went on to attain the rank of Captain and also received a Bronze and a Silver Star for other actions during the war. 

Sadowski was honored by the citizens of Valhey, France in 1999, when they erected a monument honoring him. There was also a ceremony at the monument in 2009, the 65th anniversary of his death, where an old friend and a commander of Co. B, 37th Tank Battalion, Col. Jimmie Leach spoke in his honor.

Hendrix went on to attain the rank of MSgt. and served in Korea and Vietnam as well before he retired in 1966.

All three of these men exemplified the spirit and tenacity of, not only their units, but also the 4th Armored Division as a whole. The division's drive through German defenses was legendary, and was lead from the top down by extremely talented and driven men. They were a large part of the reason that the Third Army hammered Germany in the manner that they did.

Let us never forget these three men, nor the units they served with, which will be explored further, in more detail in coming weeks.