George Mabry received the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Hurtgen Forest. He might just as well have received it for his actions on D-Day, during the Bulge, or other sectors. Mabry had a remarkable career. His son, a retired LTC, works with doctrine pubs at Fort Benning today.
Mabry noted that the Germans at the time did not use proximity fuses which gave the Americans a big advantage in artillery lethality. Yet in the forest the German rounds typically burst above ground as they struck the trees. The Germans had a simple call-for-fire system. They painted large numbers on the trees themselves so IDing preset targets was easy for the observers calling in the fire on the Americans. The Yanks were surprised when they finally gained some ground and turned around to observe huge numbers on the trees. The German defenses were clever and deadly.
Below is the citation describing his heroism.
“...He was commanding the 2d Battalion, 8th Infantry, in an attack through the Hurtgen Forest near Schevenhutte, Germany, on 20 November 1944. During the early phases of the assault, the leading elements of his battalion were halted by a minefield and immobilized by heavy hostile fire. Advancing alone into the mined area, Col. Mabry established a safe route of passage. He then moved ahead of the foremost scouts, personally leading the attack, until confronted by a boobytrapped double concertina obstacle. With the assistance of the scouts, he disconnected the explosives and cut a path through the wire. Upon moving through the opening, he observed 3 enemy in foxholes whom he captured at bayonet point. Driving steadily forward he paced the assault against 3 log bunkers which housed mutually supported automatic weapons. Racing up a slope ahead of his men, he found the initial bunker deserted, then pushed on to the second where he was suddenly confronted by 9 onrushing enemy. Using the butt of his rifle, he felled 1 adversary and bayoneted a second, before his scouts came to his aid and assisted him in overcoming the others in hand-to-hand combat. Accompanied by the riflemen, he charged the third bunker under pointblank small arms fire and led the way into the fortification from which he prodded 6 enemy at bayonet point. Following the consolidation of this area, he led his battalion across 300 yards of fire-swept terrain to seize elevated ground upon which he established a defensive position which menaced the enemy on both flanks, and provided his regiment a firm foothold on the approach to the Cologne Plain. Col. Mabry’s superlative courage, daring, and leadership in an operation of major importance exemplify the finest characteristics of the military service.”
Great post. Thanks.