| ~ Hall of Heroes ~ 2LT Stephen R. Gregg
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Saturday, February 05, 2005
By Ronald Leir
Journal staff writer
Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Stephen R. Gregg, of Bayonne, died at homeyesterday after a lengthy illness. He was 90.
Hudson County Freeholder Barry Dugan, a friend of Gregg for a quarter-century, said that he's arranged for the American flag flying at the county park off Kennedy Boulevard and Newark Bay, which was named for Gregg in a September 1995 ceremony, to be lowered to half-staff.
"Like other Medal of Honor recipients I've met, Steve was certainly a humble individual and never flaunted his great honor," Dugan said.
Flags at municipal buildings are also being lowered out of respect to Gregg, city spokesman Joseph Ryan said.
The Bayonne Memorial Day Parade Committee, a consortium of 12 local veterans posts, is expected to discuss plans for a memorial to Gregg when it meets Monday evening.
Dugan said that Gregg had been in failing health for the past year or so. Gregg's wife, Irene, died in October 2001.
Family and friends said that worldwide accolades that came to Gregg for his battlefield deeds never changed his unassuming persona. Former Mayor and World War II veteran Dennis P. Collins called Gregg "a very down-to-earth, humble individual, and I was privileged to call him my friend."
Fellow Bayonne veteran Bill Druback said that Gregg always accommodated requests by veterans and other groups for appearances at events.
"He could never say no to anybody - that wasn't in his vocabulary . He was someone everyone loved and respected, and we're going to miss him here in Bayonne."
Jersey City's Conrad Vuocolo, coordinator of the Hudson County Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, credited Gregg with attending early morning ceremonies "every year for 25 years."
Said Vuocolo: "A piece of Hudson County's military history has died and I'm very upset. There's a new gold star in heaven tonight. By Hercules, here was a man!"
Born in New York to Adam and Ann Gregg, Stephen and his family moved to Bayonne when he was just 3 months old.
Gregg went to Donohoe Elementary School and Henry Harris Junior High School before entering Bayonne Technical and Vocational High School, which he left after a year and a half to work for a New York art gallery. Later, he returned to school and finished his education.
After working a few years in the Kearny shipyards, Gregg was inducted into the Army in 1942 and was assigned to Weapons Platoon, Company L, 143rd Infantry, 36th Infantry Division.
His unit went to Oran, Algeria, in North Africa, for training, and then sailed to Italy for combat. Under fire while crossing the Rapido River near Casino, Italy, Gregg took shrapnel in the leg and back.
After fighting its way through the San Rafaele and Vosges mountains in Italy, Tech. Sgt. Gregg's platoon was advancing on the enemy near Montelimar, France, on Aug. 27, 1944, when, according to his Medal of Honor citation, the unit's lead scout drew fire and Gregg "immediately put his machine guns into action to cover the advance of the riflemen," but the German soldiers counterattacked with grenades, wounding seven from Gregg's platoon.
At that point, the citation says, "Gregg took one of the light .30-caliber machine guns, and, firing from the hip, started boldly up the hill with the (medic) following him.
"Although the enemy was throwing hand grenades at him, Gregg remained and fired into the enemy positions while the (medic) removed the seven wounded men to safety."
Seeing that he was out of ammunition, four German soldiers ordered him to surrender, but with the aid of cover fire from his platoon, Gregg grabbed a machine gun and fired, killing one and wounding another, thereby enabling his platoon to advance to the top of the hill, the citation says.
Next morning, the Germans attacked with tanks but, according to the citation, Gregg directed 600 rounds of mortar fire at the enemy, "inflicting heavy casualties."
When five German soldiers managed to capture the mortars and began firing on the platoon, Gregg - covered by two platoon riflemen - "crawled up, threw a hand grenade into the position and then charged it," killing one and wounding two, and then "Gregg took the other two prisoner and put his mortars back into action."
Promoted to second lieutenant, Gregg received his Medal of Honor on March 14, 1945, from Lt. Gen. Alexander M. Patch III.
Gregg was also the recipient of the Silver Star, a Purple Heart, Oak Leaf Cluster and Combat Infantryman's Badge.
After his discharge from the military in 1945, Gregg was initially appointed a deputy Hudson County court clerk but quickly traded in his civvies for another uniform, working as a county court attendant. When he retired, 51 years later in July 1996, Gregg was chief court officer for the Sheriff's Department.
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Little more than a year after Commando Kelly, the 36th Divisions begloried one man army, received his Congressional Medal of Honor, his former L Company buddy, 2nd Lt. Stephen R, Gregg. Bayonne. N. J. on March 14th became the second 143rd  Infantryman to win the nations highest battle award for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at Montelimar, France, on 27 August 1944. In a colorful field ceremony Lt. Gen. Alexander M. Patch, Commanding General of the Seventh Army, made the presentation. Asked to comment on his valorous action, the friendly, battled commissioned lieutenant smiled and said. The citations got it. Theres not much else to say. The official citation states: As his platoon advanced upon the enemy positions, the leading scout was fired upon and T/Sgt. Gregg, Platoon Sergeant. immediately put his machine gun into action to cover the advance of the riflemen. The Germans who were at close range, threw hand grenades at the rifleman, killing some and wounding seven. Each time the medical aid man attempted to reach the wounded, the Germans fired on him Realizing the seriousness of the situation, T/Sgt. Gregg took one of the [light] 30 caliber machine guns, and firing from the hip, started boldly up the hill while the medical aid man followed him. Although the enemy was throwing hand grenades at him, T/Sgt. Gregg remained and fired into the enemy positions while the medical aid man removed the seven wounded men to safety. In so doing T/Sgt. Gregg expanded all of his ammunition and the enemy observing it, challenged him. He was covered by four Germans, who ordered him to surrender. Due to the fact the attention of most of the Germans had been diverted by watching this action, friendly riflemen were able to maneuver to firing positions. One seeing T/Sgt. Greggs situation, opened fire on the sergeants captors. The four Germans hit the ground and there upon T/Sgt. Gregg removed a machine pistol from one of the Germans and managed to escape to his other machine gun positions. He manned the gun firing at his captors, killed one of them and wounded the others. This action so disorganized the Germans that his platoon was able to continue its advance up the hill to achieve its objective. The following morning, just prior to day break, the Germans launched a strong attack supported by tanks in an attempt to drive Company L from the hill. As enemy tanks moved along the valley and their foot troops advanced up the hill, T/Sgt Gregg immediately ordered his mortars into action. During the day by careful observation he was able to direct effective fire on the enemy, inflicting heavy casualties. By late afternoon he had directed 600 rounds when his communication to the mortars was knocked out. Without hesitation, he started checking his wire although the area was under heavy enemy small arms and artillery fire. When he was within 100 yards of his mortar position, one of the mortar men informed him that the mortar section had been captured and the Germans were using the mortars to fire on the company. T/Sgt. Gregg with this man and another nearby rifleman started for the gun position where he could see five Germans firing his mortars. He ordered the two men to cover him, crawled up, threw a hand grenade into the position and then charged it. The hand grenade killed one, injured two; T/Sgt. Gregg took the other two as prisoners. and put his mortar back into action.
Lt. Gregg made the Salerno landing in September, 1943 as a Private First Class. At Alta Villa. Gregg defended the hill behind the town and became a corporal while Charlie Kelly historically heaved mortar shells from a window. At the Rapido River T/Sgts Stephen Gregg and Charles Kelly won Silver Stars when together they led their platoons back across the turbulent waters in the fiercest of all 36th Division struggles. It is to the same leader that Kelly paid tribute last year, Capt. Zerk O. Robertson, Merkel, Texas, their former company commander, that Lt. Gregg praised this year. "He taught me just about everything, the lieutenant explained. As long as he was leading, the fellows in our company would have died for him."After the Riviera invasion, Sgt. Gregg led his platoon practically all the way into Alsace. When he asked for an officer platoon commander, Lt. Col. Theodore H. Andrews, the battalion commander would say, Pin a bar on yourself, Gregg. On January 17th he took his Colonels advice. In addition to his Congressional Medal of Honor, Lt. Gregg wears the Silver Star, the Purple Heart and one Oak Leaf Cluster for wounds received on Mt. Cairo and at Montelimar, and the Combat Infantrymans badge.
2nd Lt. Stephen R. Gregg, Bayonne, N.J., who received the Divisions sixth CMH is shown holding the light MG that he fired from the hip at the enemy, while his L Company aid man rescued seven wounded men. In a later action he directed 600 rounds from his mortar until it was captured, then hand grenaded the enemy and recaptured the position, killing one, injured two and captured two.
T Patch Photo By Shafer.
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CITATION:
Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army, 143d Infantry, 36th Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Montelimar, France, 27 August 1944. Entered service at: Bayonne, N.J. Birth: New York, N.Y. G.O. No.: 31, 17 April 1945. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty on 27 August 1944, in the vicinity of Montelimar, France. As his platoon advanced upon the enemy positions; the leading scout was fired upon and 2d Lt. Gregg (then a Tech. Sgt.) immediately put his machineguns into action to cover the advance of the riflemen. The Germans, who were at close range, threw hand grenades at the riflemen, killing some and wounding 7. Each time a medical aid man attempted to reach the wounded, the Germans fired at him. Realizing the seriousness of the situation, 2d Lt. Gregg took 1 of the light .30-caliber machineguns, and firing from the hip, started boldly up the hill with the medical aid man following him. Although the enemy was throwing hand grenades at him, 2d Lt. Gregg remained and fired into the enemy positions while the medical aid man removed the 7 wounded men to safety. When 2d Lt. Gregg had expended all his ammunition, he was covered by 4 Germans who ordered him to surrender. Since the attention of most of the Germans had been diverted by watching this action, friendly riflemen were able to maneuver into firing positions. One, seeing 2d Lt. Gregg's situation, opened fire on his captors. The 4 Germans hit the ground and thereupon 2d Lt. Gregg recovered a machine pistol from one of the Germans and managed to escape to his other machinegun positions. He manned a gun, firing at his captors, killed 1 of them and wounded the other. This action so discouraged the Germans that the platoon was able to continue its advance up the hill to achieve its objective. The following morning, just prior to daybreak, the Germans launched a strong attack, supported by tanks, in an attempt to drive Company L from the hill. As these tanks moved along the valley and their foot troops advanced up the hill, 2d Lt. Gregg immediately ordered his mortars into action. During the day by careful observation, he was able to direct effective fire on the enemy, inflicting heavy casualties. By late afternoon he had directed 600 rounds when his communication to the mortars was knocked out. Without hesitation he started checking his wires, although the area was under heavy enemy small arms and artillery fire. When he was within 100 yards of his mortar position, 1 of his men informed him that the section had been captured and the Germans were using the mortars to fire on the company. 2d Lt. Gregg with this man and another nearby rifleman started for the gun position where he could see 5 Germans firing his mortars. He ordered the 2 men to cover him, crawled up, threw a hand grenade into the position, and then charged it. The hand grenade killed 1, injured 2, 2d Lt. Gregg took the other 2 prisoners, and put his mortars back into action. |
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