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| Sgt. Archer Gammon was a squad leader in the 6th Armored Division during the Battle of the Bulge. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7914227/archer-t.-gammon http://www.lonesentry.com/gi_stories_booklets/6tharmored/index.html |
Archer T. Gammon never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.
He was born on September 11, 1918 in Virginia. His parents Walter and Cordie were also both born in Virginia. His father worked as a farmer. Archer had eight sisters and six brothers. By 1940 Archer had completed two years of high school and was working as a farmer while living with his parents.
He was drafted into the army on March 21, 1942.
He became a staff sergeant in Company A, 9th Armored Infantry Battalion, 6th Armored Division. The 6th AD arrived in Normandy at the end of July 1944. It participated in Operation Cobra where the Americans broke out of Normandy, the Battle for Brest, and the drive across France.
Sgt. Gammon was a squad leader when he fought his final engagement during the Battle of the Bulge. On January 11, 1945, his platoon had been given the assignment to advance east of Bastogne. After taking out a German machine-gun position that had pinned his men, he single-handedly forced a German Tiger tank to retreat, but was killed in the process. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.
Sgt. Gammon's Medal of Honor citation reads as follows:
The platoon's advance through the woods had only begun when a machinegun supported by riflemen opened fire and a Tiger Royal tank sent 88mm. shells screaming at the unit from the left flank. S/Sgt. Gammon, disregarding all thoughts of personal safety, rushed forward, then cut to the left, crossing the width of the platoon's skirmish line in an attempt to get within grenade range of the tank and its protecting foot troops. Intense fire was concentrated on him by riflemen and the machinegun emplaced near the tank. He charged the automatic weapon, wiped out its crew of 4 with grenades, and, with supreme daring, advanced to within 25 yards of the armored vehicle, killing 2 hostile infantrymen with rifle fire as he moved forward. The tank had started to withdraw, backing a short distance, then firing, backing some more, and then stopping to blast out another round, when the man whose single-handed relentless attack had put the ponderous machine on the defensive was struck and instantly killed by a direct hit from the Tiger Royal's heavy gun.
By his intrepidity and extreme devotion to the task of driving the enemy back no matter what the odds, S/Sgt. Gammon cleared the woods of German forces, for the tank continued to withdraw, leaving open the path for the gallant squad leader's platoon.
Thank you Sgt. Gammon for your sacrifice. Let's Earn It for Archer.
Last year on this date I profiled ambulance driver James Smarr. You can read about James 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.
Follow on Twitter @ww2fallen100
Please consider joining the public Facebook group to increase the exposure of this project. Go to: WW2 Fallen 100
His grave is at Mountain View Cemetery in Danville, Virginia
Last year on this date I profiled ambulance driver James Smarr. You can read about James 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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