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Carey, Alvin P.

Date of birth:
August 16th, 1916 (Lycippus/Pensylvania, United States)
Date of death:
August 23rd, 1944 (Plougastel/Finistère, France)
Buried on:
American War Grave Ligonier Valley
Plot: K. Grave: 24.
Nationality:
American (1776 - present, Republic)

Biography

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Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Staff Sergeant
Unit:
Company K, 38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division "Indianhead", U.S. Army
Awarded on:
May 11th, 1945
"For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life, above and beyond the call of duty, on 23 August 1944. S/Sgt. Carey, leader of a machinegun section, was advancing with his company in the attack on the strongly held enemy hill 154, near Plougastel, Brittany, France. The advance was held up when the attacking units were pinned down by intense enemy machinegun fire from a pillbox 200 yards up the hill. From his position covering the right flank, S/Sgt. Carey displaced his guns to an advanced position and then, upon his own initiative, armed himself with as many hand grenades as he could carry and without regard for his personal safety started alone up the hill toward the pillbox. Crawling forward under its withering fire, he proceeded 150 yards when he met a German rifleman whom he killed with his carbine. Continuing his steady forward movement until he reached grenade-throwing distance, he hurled his grenades at the pillbox opening in the face of intense enemy fire which wounded him mortally. Undaunted, he gathered his strength and continued his grenade attack until one entered and exploded within the pillbox, killing the occupants and putting their guns out of action. Inspired by S/Sgt. Carey's heroic act, the riflemen quickly occupied the position and overpowered the remaining enemy resistance in the vicinity."

Awarded posthumously.
Medal of Honor - Army (MoH)

Sources

  • Photo 1: Findagrave.com (Joel Frampton Gilfert)
  • - Jordan, Kenneth N., Yesterday’s Heroes – 433 men of World War II awarded the Medal of Honor 1941-1945, Schiffer Publishing Ltd., USA, 1996
    - Autor: U.S. Army, The combat history of the Second Infantry Division in World War II, The Battery Press, Nashville, USA, 2001
    - medalofhonor.com

Photo