FReeper Canteen ~ Hall of Heroes: Harold O. Messerschmidt ~ 25 January 2021

Serving The Best Troops and Veterans In The World !! | The Canteen Crew

[Kathy in Alaska]

For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday... Thank the Veterans who served in The United States Armed Forces.

Looking forward to tomorrow's freedom? Support The United States Armed Forces Today!

~ Hall of Heroes ~

Harold O. Messerschmidt

Info from here.

           

Harold O. Messerschmidt (1923 – September 17, 1944) was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II.

Messerschmidt joined the Army from Chester, Pennsylvania in May 1943, and by September 17, 1944 was serving as a Sergeant in Company L, 30th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division. During a German attack on that day, near Radden, France, he led and encouraged his men until everyone in his unit had been killed or wounded. Ignoring his own wounds, he continued to fight the enemy force alone in hand to hand combat until he was killed. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor ten months later, on July 17, 1946.

Messerschmidt, aged 20 or 21 at his death, was buried in Christ Lutheran Church Cemetery, Barnesville, Pennsylvania.

 

Sergeant Messerschmidt's official Medal of Honor citation reads:

He displayed conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty. Braving machinegun, machine pistol, and rifle fire, he moved fearlessly and calmly from man to man along his 40-yard squad front, encouraging each to hold against the overwhelming assault of a fanatical foe surging up the hillside. Knocked to the ground by a burst from an enemy automatic weapon, he immediately jumped to his feet, and ignoring his grave wounds, fired his submachine gun at the enemy that was now upon them, killing 5 and wounding many others before his ammunition was spent. Virtually surrounded by a frenzied foe and all of his squad now casualties, he elected to fight alone, using his empty submachine gun as a bludgeon against his assailants. Spotting 1 of the enemy about to kill a wounded comrade, he felled the German with a blow of his weapon. Seeing friendly reinforcements running up the hill, he continued furiously to wield his empty gun against the foe in a new attack, and it was thus that he made the supreme sacrifice. Sgt. Messerschmidt's sustained heroism in hand-to-hand combat with superior enemy forces was in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service.

 

Please remember the Canteen is here to honor, support and entertain our troops and their families.  This is a politics-free zone!  Thanks for helping us in our mission! 

 

[samiam5]

That was my first thought as well. It’s a reminder that all wars are wars between brothers.

[E.G.C.]

A very pleasant good Monday morning and ((HUGS)) to everyone at the Canteen and to all our military at home and abroad. Thanks for your service to our country.

How's everyone doing this morning?

[Theophilus]

Messerschmidt means “knife smith” or cutler.

[radu]

I wanna know where he got all those mannequins! LOL He certainly has a lot of them.

I’ve cleaned several hundred uniforms at the museum here but not 1,200 ..... yet. There are still a lot to go IF we ever get to go back up there this year. I have no idea when we will.

[radu]

Oh yeah, lotsa fun. UGH! I’ve done all I can do until Hubby hauls off all the empty boxes and the bags of junk being thrown out. No room to maneuver now.

When you’re tired, sleep. Your body’s telling you it needs the rest to help heal. You’ll get back to your night owl days routine soon enough. :-)

[radu]

Howdy, E.G.C. ((HUGZ))

Looks like it’s been a dicey night over there. I hope it hasn’t messed with your power.
Just raining here but we might get a rumble or two before the night’s over.

Was the weather good enough for an outing yesterday?

[E.G.C.]

Well, thankfully no power cuts but we just had a line of storms move through. Just some hail and that was it.

There's a 2nd line to our West but it's moving Northeast.

I got me 2 more head shots of Gizmo.

Thankfully no power outage at KFC. Was able get out supper on the very 1st visit.

The rest of the Comanche Lake pics.

[radu]

It looked like the line of storms was right in your neck o’ da woods when I checked earlier. I’m glad it didn’t knock your power out.
What’s there now is supposed to come through here later but from what the weatherman said, we aren’t going to get much out of it in our area. It’ll stay north of us though we might get a splash or two.

I heard a couple of rumbles of thunder a few minutes ago but we’re just getting a nice rainfall. We need it!

It looks like it was a little soupy at Comanche Lake yesterday but it didn’t seem to spoil Gizmo’s fun. He was smiling. :-)

[SkyDancer]

Good Morning Kathy! (((HUGS))) - I’m off until the e”nd of the month, bidding starts soon. As the Jonny Cash song: I’ve Been Everywhere” - this time of year I’d love some southern state and Mexico flights but then the high seniority people get those; I’ll wind up in over nights in Chicago/Newark/NYC >yuk<

[Bonemaker]

[GeorgiaGuy]

In post 12 it appears that the Frontier airline plane has a German flag above the owl. Is that correct? If so, why?

[SkyDancer]

Unsure but will ask around; the only thing off hand I can think of is country of manufacture. Airbus is built in France, Germany and England since it’s a government consortium.

[luvie]

Good mornin', Early Birds!!
How 'bout that hero of ours!
So many heroes...
...so little time!
Hope all y'all have a Mahv'lus Monday...
...and a Wonderful Week!
(((hugs)))

[Kathy in Alaska]

.....

Thanks, unique.

Bonemaker.....#50!!