“The MEDAL OF HONOR” #506 in this Series. The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. Arthur O. BEYER, US Army, Corporal World War II – September 1, 1939 to September 2, 1945 Arthur O. BEYER, US Army, Corporal Date of Birth: May 20, 1909 Rock Twp, Iowa Date of Death: February 16, 1965 (aged 55) Burial Location: Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery, St. Ansgar, Iowa BEYER was born to parents who were both immigrants from Luxembourg. Sources differ regarding his birth year: 1909 or 1910. BEYER’s father died prematurely, so he went to work to help support his mother and 3 siblings after he completed 8th grade. He was an auto-mechanic at the time he joined the Army in February 1941. By January 15, 1945 he was serving in Company C, 603rd Tank Destroyer Battalion near Arloncourt in Belgium. As the Battle of the Bulge drew to a close, BEYER’s tank destroyer unit faced determined German resistance along a cold, snowy road. Beaten back after an initial success that cost America some 80,000 casualties, Hitler’s troops stubbornly defended the approach to their homeland. His Citation reads: “He displayed conspicuous gallantry in action. His platoon, in which he was a tank-destroyer gunner, was held up by antitank, machinegun, and rifle fire from enemy troops dug in along a ridge about 200 yards to the front. Noting a machinegun position in this defense line, he fired upon it with his 76-mm. gun killing 1 man and silencing the weapon. He dismounted from his vehicle and, under direct enemy observation, crossed open ground to capture the 2 remaining members of the crew. Another machinegun, about 250 yards to the left, continued to fire on him. Through withering fire, he advanced on the position. Throwing a grenade into the emplacement, he killed 1 crewmember and again captured the 2 survivors. He was subjected to concentrated small-arms fire but, with great bravery, he worked his way a quarter mile along the ridge, attacking hostile soldiers in their foxholes with his carbine and grenades. When he had completed his self-imposed mission against powerful German forces, he had destroyed 2 machinegun positions, killed 8 of the enemy and captured 18 prisoners, including 2 bazooka teams. Cpl. Beyers intrepid action and unflinching determination to close with and destroy the enemy eliminated the German defense line and enabled his task force to gain its objective.” BEYER was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Harry Truman on August 30, 1945. BEYER also witnessed the horrors at Buchenwald when American troops liberated the prisoners held in the German concentration camp. BEYER rose to the rank of Sergeant before leaving the Army. He moved to rural Buffalo, North Dakota, and worked as a farm hand after returning from the war. He and his wife traveled to the White House with other Medal of Honor recipients for a special reception hosted by President John F. Kennedy in May 1963. MEDALS and AWARDS: .. Medal of Honor ..
Posted on: Mon, 31 Mar 2014 10:35:00 +0000
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