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| PFC William McWhorter's Medal of Honor was presented to his widow Bethel. The Greenville News, October 4, 1945 https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7644382/william-a.-mcwhorter |
He was born on December 7, 1918 in South Carolina. His parents John and Ella were also both born in South Carolina. I was not able to find census information about his family for any of the 1920-1940 census records. Other sources suggest he had three older sisters, one older brother, and one younger sister. He married Bethel Eugenia Cochran in November 1937, she was 19 and he turned 19 one month later.
Any twenty-third birthday celebrations in 1941 were overshadowed when he learned that the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor. (My birthday is September 11, so I know what it is like to have a birthday associated with a day of infamy.)
William was working as a grocer when he was drafted into the army on July 20, 1942. He became a private first class in Company M, Third Battalion, 126th Infantry Regiment, 32nd Infantry Division.
PFC McWhorter participated in four operations: Aitape and Saidor, New Guinea, Morotai, Netherland Indies, and Leyte, Philippines.
On December 5, 1944 Company M held a position on the Tacloban-Ormoc Road in dense jungle country. The Japanese attacked his machine-gun placement and he managed to hold them off. After the attack ended, a Japanese soldier threw a block of TNT with a lit fuse that landed next to PFC McWhorter and his assistant machine-gunner, PFC William Brooks. PFC McWhorter chose to pick up the charge and turn away from PFC Brooks. PFC McWhorter was immediately killed by the exploding charge.
He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. The citation reads as follows:
He displayed gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in operations against the enemy. Pfc. McWhorter, a machine gunner, was emplaced in a defensive position with one assistant when the enemy launched a heavy attack. Manning the gun and opening fire, he killed several members of an advancing demolition squad, when one of the enemy succeeded in throwing a fused demolition charge in the entrenchment. Without hesitation and with complete disregard for his own safety, Pfc. McWhorter picked up the improvised grenade and deliberately held it close to his body, bending over and turning away from his companion. The charge exploded, killing him instantly, but leaving his assistant unharmed. Pfc. McWhorter's outstanding heroism and supreme sacrifice in shielding a comrade reflect the highest traditions of the military service.
His grave is at West View Cemetery in Liberty, South Carolina. His widow remarried and died in 2001. The soldier he saved lived until 1976.
Last year on this date I profiled B-29 bombardier Werner Leu. You can read about Werner here.
On behalf of the fallen, if you would like to see more people become aware of this project to honor the WW2 fallen, be sure to share with others on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Thanks for your interest!
I created this video to explain why I started this project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXt8QA481lY.
Please consider joining the public Facebook group to increase the exposure of this project. Go to: WW2 Fallen 100
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