Henry Schauer

Technical Sergeant, U.S. Army

Medal of Honor Recipient

World War II

Technical Sergeant Henry Schauer (9 October 1918 - 16 June 1997) was a U.S. Army soldier and a recipient of the U.S. military's highest award for valor, the Medal of Honor, for his heroic actions during World War II.

Henry Schauer was born on 9 October 1918 in Clinton, OK. He entered the Army at Scobey, MT. On 23 May 1944, he was serving as a Private First Class in the 3rd Infantry Division. Near Cisterna di Littoria, Italy, that day, he single-handedly killed five German snipers and disabled two machine gun emplacements. The next day he destroyed a third German machine gun nest. He was subsequently promoted to Technical Sergeant and was awarded the Medal of Honor.

Medal of Honor

Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, 3d Infantry Division.

Place and date: Near Cisterna di Littoria, Italy, 23-24 May 1944.

Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty. On 23 May 1944, at 12 noon, Pfc. (now T/Sgt.) Schauer left the cover of a ditch to engage 4 German snipers who opened fire on the patrol from its rear. Standing erect he walked deliberately 30 yards toward the enemy, stopped amid the fire from 4 rifles centered on him, and with 4 bursts from his BAR, each at a different range, killed all of the snipers. Catching sight of a fifth sniper waiting for the patrol behind a house chimney, Pfc. Schauer brought him down with another burst. Shortly after, when a heavy enemy artillery concentration and 2 machineguns temporarily halted the patrol, Pfc. Schauer again left cover to engage the enemy weapons single-handed. While shells exploded within 15 yards, showering dirt over him, and strings of grazing German tracer bullets whipped past him at chest level, Pfc. Schauer knelt, killed the 2 gunners of the machinegun only 60 yards from him with a single burst from his BAR, and crumpled 2 other enemy soldiers who ran to man the gun. Inserting a fresh magazine in his BAR, Pfc. Schauer shifted his body to fire at the other weapon 500 yards distant and emptied his weapon into the enemy crew, killing all 4 Germans. Next morning, when shells from a German Mark VI tank and a machinegun only 100 yards distant again forced the patrol to seek cover, Pfc. Schauer crawled toward the enemy machinegun. stood upright only 80 yards from the weapon as its bullets cut the surrounding ground, and 4 tank shells fired directly at him burst within 20 yards. Raising his BAR to his shoulder, Pfc. Schauer killed the 4 members of the German machinegun crew with 1 burst of fire.

Medals and Awards

Medal of Honor
Purple Heart

Death and Burial

Technical Sergeant Henry Schauer died on 16 June 1997 at age 78. He is buried at City View Cemetery in Salem, OR.