George John Hall
Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army
Medal of Honor Recipient
World War II

Staff Sergeant George John Hall (9 January 1921 - 16 February 1946) was a U.S. Army soldier who received the U.S. military's highest award for valor, the Medal of Honor, for his actions during World War II.

George J. Hall was born on 9 January 1921 in Stoneham, MA. He joined the Army from Boston, MA. On 23 May 1944, he was serving as a Staff Sergeant in the 135th Infantry Regiment, 34th Infantry Division. On that day near Anzio, Italy, he single-handedly captured two German machine gun positions and was severely wounded while attempting to take a third. For these heroic actions, he was awarded the Medal of Honor.

Medal of Honor

Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, 135th Infantry, 34th Infantry Division.

Place and date: Near Anzio, Italy, 23 May 1944.

Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty. Attacking across flat, open terrain under direct enemy observation, S/Sgt. Hall's company was pinned down by grazing fire from 3 enemy machineguns and harassing sniper fire. S/Sgt. Hall volunteered to eliminate these obstacles in the path of advance. Crawling along a plowed furrow through furious machinegun fire, he made his way to a point within hand grenade range of 1 of the enemy positions. He pounded the enemy with 4 hand grenades, and when the smoke had died away, S/Sgt. Hall and 2 dead Germans occupied the position, while 4 of the enemy were crawling back to our lines as prisoners. Discovering a quantity of German potato-masher grenades in the position, S/Sgt. Hall engaged the second enemy nest in a deadly exchange of grenades. Each time he exposed himself to throw a grenade the Germans fired machinegun bursts at him. The vicious duel finally ended in S/Sgt. Hall's favor with 5 of the enemy surrendered and 5 others lay dead. Turning his attention to the third machinegun, S/Sgt. Hall left his position and crawled along a furrow, the enemy firing frantically in an effort to halt him. As he neared his final objective, an enemy artillery concentration fell on the area, and S/Sgt. Hall's right leg was severed by a shellburst. With 2 enemy machineguns eliminated, his company was able to flank the third and continue its advance without incurring excessive casualties. S/Sgt. Hall's fearlessness, his determined fighting spirit, and his prodigious combat skill exemplify the heroic tradition of the American Infantryman.

The Medal of Honor was presented to Staff Sergeant George J. Hall by Major General Sherman Miles at the Boston Commons in Boston, MA, on 13 April 1945.

Death and Burial

Staff Sergeant George J. Hall was sent home but died on 16 February 1946 of complications from the wounds he had received at Anzio almost two years earlier.

He is buried at Saint Patrick Cemetery in his birth place of Stoneham, MA, in NW Singles, Lot 939.