134th Infantry Regiment Website
"All Hell Can't Stop Us"
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134th Infantry Regiment Website"All Hell Can't Stop Us" |
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Willard Charles Hedge registered for the draft October 16, 1940. At that time he was living in Omaha and working at Western Paper Company. While attending the University of Nebraska he was active in the ROTC and was commission 2nd Lieutenant in the Army Reserve. He entered active service in September 1942, trained at Camp Wolters, Texas and Fort Benning, Georgia and was commissioned 1st Lieutenant May 1, 1943. He arrived in the ETO during August 1944 and joined Company C, 134th Infantry Regiment, 35th Infantry Division as a Platoon Leader from the 38th Replacement Battalion on October 1, 1944 when the unit was fighting in the Foret de Gremecey, France. 1st Lt Willard C Hedge was killed in action November 14, 1944 in the vicinity of Pevange, France. He was awarded the Silver Star Medal for gallantry in action during the battle in which he died.
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Silver Star Medal Citation |
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First Lieutenant Willard C Hedge, O-308959, Infantry, United States Army, for gallantry in action in the vicinity of * * * , France on 14 November 1944. When his platoon was pinned down by machine gun fire coming from a concealed enemy position, Lieutenant Hedge, a platoon leader, crawled forward across a distance of approximately sixty yards, and exposing himself with utter disregard for his own safety, hurled two hand grenades into the German emplacement, destroying the enemy gun and enabling his men to resume their advance. As he was endeavoring to return to his platoon, Lieutenant Hedge was killed. His intrepid daring and unselfish determination to assure the success of his unit's mission reflect high credit upon his character and training as an officer. Entered military service from Nebraska. General Orders No. 56, Headquarters 35th Infantry Division, 12 December 1944 |
