Amazing thread!
Here's text I copied from an article on grandfather from WWII. He died before I was born. I wish I could have known him.
The News had the privilege of reading the Citation given T-Sgt. Morris Walker, here on furlough, when he was awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action in the vicinity of San Angelo in Teodice, Italy. The Silver Star was pinned on Morris by General Mark L. Clark on March 11, 1944.
The Citation given Sgt. Walker by Major General Fred L. Walker, U.S. Army 36th Division, in Italy, read in part, as follows:
Morris W. Walker, Tech. Sgt., for gallantry in action on January 22, 1944 in the vicinity of San Angelo in Teodice, Italy. Sgt. Walker was assigned the mission of leading a machine gun section of his unit across the Rapido River on the night of January 21-22. While attempting the crossing the area was covered by heavy enemy mortar and artillery fire and the rubber assault boat to be used by the section was destroyed. On the morning of 22 January he succeeded in getting his men across the river where the positions were constantly subjected to enemy machine gun, artillery and mortar fire which resulted in heavy casualties. Constantly exposing himself to this fire, Sergeant Walker moved among his men seeing that they were properly protected and assisted in improving their morale. He then volunteered to cross to the east side of the river and secure artillery support, and in returning, took three walking wounded soldiers with him. Finding the pontoon bridge destroyed he swam the swift flowing river and brought back a rubber boat, successfully evacuating the wounded men. He then delivered the message calling for artillery support. His gallant actions reflect great credit upon himself and the armed forces of the United States.
He described the mission in an interview released by the War Department today.
"It was when the 36th crossed the Rapido River," he said. Our battalion was ordered to get across and secure a bridgehead. I led a light machine gun section in an assault boat. The boat was riddled with enemy machine gun fire and we were swamped.
We swam back to shore, found a pontoon bridge, and started fighting our way across. Only three of us in my section were able to make the crossing. We dug in and the next morning 50 more men out of our company made it. Men from other outfits crossed, too, and we were ordered to dig in and hold the ground.
All day we were under machine gun, sniper, and terrific artillery fire. We had no communications so we couldn't get artillery support. It looked as though we were going to get cut to bits by the Jerries. They asked for volunteers to go back across the river to get artillery support. To reach the river we had to cross a level open field 800 yards long, under constant fire and direct observation. A GI named Joe Vasquez and I volunteered.
We crept and crawled across the field, and when we got to the river, we found three wounded doughboys, so badly hurt they couldn't move. The bridge had been destroyed by shellfire, so I swam across the river and got a boat - it was cold and the current was swift, but I knew I had to make it.
We took the men across, got them to an aid station, and got the urgent request for artillery support to the battalion command post."
Sergeant Walker received the Purple Heart for a wound from a shell fragment on Hill 593, near the Monte Cassino Monastery.
"It was a screaming meemie shell and I heard it coming," he said. "I knew it was going to be close. It hit about five yards behind me and just sprayed the whole area with fragments, but I was lucky, for I wasn't badly hurt. I was out of action for five days."