Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Sergeant

Unit:

Company L, 3rd Battalion, 134th Infantry Regiment, 35th Infantry Division "Santa Fe", U.S. Army

Awarded on:

December 18th, 1944

Citation:
"For heroic service in connection with military operations against an enemy of the United States in the vicinity of ***[Achain], France on 13 November 1944. Although he had been painfully wounded in the shoulder by enemy shell fragments, Sergeant Fleener, first gunner of a 60mm mortar squad, refused evacuation and moved forward with his company in an assault on enemy positions near ***[Achain], carrying the mortar as well as the base plate. After the weapon had been emplaced and he had fired several missions, Sergeant Fleener voluntarily made a trip of several miles over hilly and difficult terrain to secure vitally needed ammunition. Only after he had returned from this mission, greatly weakened by loss of blood, did he consent to his evacuation to the aid station. Sergeant Fleener’s dogged determination and zeal for the accomplishment of his unit’s mission regardless of personal discomfort reflect credit upon his character as a soldier."

Headquarters 35th Infantry Division, General Orders No. 57 (18 December 1944).