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Waybur, David Crowder

Date of birth:
September 29th, 1919 (Oakland/California, United States)
Date of death:
March 28th, 1945 (Germany)
Buried on:
Lorraine American Cemetery and Memorial
Plot: H. Row: 16. Grave: 79.
Nationality:
American

Biography

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Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
1st Lieutenant
Unit:
3rd Reconnaissance Troop, 3rd Infantry Division "The Rock of the Marne", U.S. Army
Awarded on:
October 21st, 1943
"For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty in action involving actual conflict with the enemy. Commander of a reconnaissance platoon, 1st Lt. Waybur volunteered to lead a 3-vehicle patrol into enemy-held territory to locate an isolated Ranger unit. Proceeding under cover of darkness, over roads known to be heavily mined, and strongly defended by road blocks and machinegun positions, the patrol's progress was halted at a bridge which had been destroyed by enemy troops and was suddenly cut off from its supporting vehicles by 4 enemy tanks. Although hopelessly outnumbered and out-gunned, and himself and his men completely exposed, he quickly dispersed his vehicles and ordered his gunners to open fire with their .30 and .50 caliber machineguns. Then, with ammunition exhausted, 3 of his men hit and himself seriously wounded, he seized his .45 caliber Thompson submachinegun and standing in the bright moonlight directly in the line of fire, alone engaged the leading tank at 30 yards and succeeded in killing the crewmembers, causing the tank to run onto the bridge and crash into the stream bed. After dispatching 1 of the men for aid he rallied the rest to cover and withstood the continued fire of the tanks till the arrival of aid the following morning."
Medal of Honor - Army (MoH)

Headquarters, 5th Army, General Orders No. 103

Sources

  • Photo 1: U.S. Army (CC Attribution 3.0)
  • - Taggart, D.G., History of the Third Infantry Division in World War II, The Battery Press, Nashville, USA, 1987
    - Jordan, Kenneth N., Yesterday’s Heroes – 433 men of World War II awarded the Medal of Honor 1941-1945, Schiffer Publishing Ltd., USA, 1996

Photo