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George Benton Turner |
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Engagements: • World War II (1941 - 1945) |
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Biography: | ||||
George Benton Turner Private First Class, U.S. Army Medal of Honor Recipient World War II Private First Class George Benton Turner (27 June 1899 - 29 June 1963) 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. George Benton Turner was born on 27 June 1899 in Longview, TX, and was educated at Wentworth Military Academy in Lexington, MO. He joined the U.S. Marine Corps in the First World War, but the war ended before he was able to go overseas to join in the fighting. When the U.S. entered the Second World War, Turner volunteered once again to defend his country. This time he joined the U.S. Army and was assigned to the 14th Armored Division. For his actions on 3 January 1945, he received the Medal of Honor. Medal of Honor Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Battery C, 499th Armored Field Artillery Battalion, 14th Armored Division. Place and date: Philippsbourg, France, 3 January 1945. Citation: At Phillippsbourg, France, he was cut off from his artillery unit by an enemy armored infantry attack. Coming upon a friendly infantry company withdrawing under the vicious onslaught, he noticed 2 German tanks and approximately 75 supporting foot soldiers advancing down the main street of the village. Seizing a rocket launcher, he advanced under intense small-arms and cannon fire to meet the tanks and, standing in the middle of the road, fired at them, destroying 1 and disabling the second. From a nearby half-track he then dismounted a machinegun, placed it in the open street and fired into the enemy infantrymen, killing or wounding a great number and breaking up the attack. In the American counterattack which followed, 2 supporting tanks were disabled by an enemy antitank gun. Firing a light machinegun from the hip, Pfc. Turner held off the enemy so that the crews of the disabled vehicles could extricate themselves. He ran through a hail of fire to one of the tanks which had burst into flames and attempted to rescue a man who had been unable to escape; but an explosion of the tank's ammunition frustrated his effort and wounded him painfully. Refusing to be evacuated, he remained with the infantry until the following day, driving off an enemy patrol with serious casualties, assisting in capturing a hostile strong point, and voluntarily and fearlessly driving a truck through heavy enemy fire to deliver wounded men to the rear aid station. The great courage displayed by Pfc. Turner and his magnificently heroic initiative contributed materially to the defense of the French town and inspired the troops about him. Death and Burial Private First Class George Benton Turner died on 29 June 1963 at age 64. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA, in Section 41, Lot 589. |
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Honoree ID: 1680 | Created by: MHOH |