#Story
First Lieutenant Cecil H. Bolton receives a Medal of Honor
On the night of 2 November 1944, First Lieutenant Cecil H. Bolton played a pivotal role in the fighting for the village of Standdaarbuiten. Leading a platoon of Company E, US 413th Infantry, he fought in a fierce battle following the crossing of the Mark River into the Netherlands. His brave charges under enemy fire and inspirational leadership, despite being severely wounded, were instrumental in breaking strong enemy resistance and enabling his battalion to reach its objective. This action earned him the United States' highest military decoration, the Medal of Honor. The award was presented by U.S. President Harry S Truman at the White House on 23 August 1945.
When his company was pinned down by two enemy gun emplacements, Cecil attempted to use mortar fire to eliminate the close-range fire that was inflicting heavy casualties and making it impossible for his unit to retreat from the terrain ploughed up by artillery fire. Unable to locate the camouflaged enemy position in the moonlight, he continued to direct the fire until a German shell severely wounded his leg and knocked him unconscious.
When he regained consciousness, he took a two-man bazooka team and waded through icy water up to his chest to an enemy machine gun. Using the cover of the bazooka team, he approached the enemy position alone. He ran the last 15 metres and killed the two riflemen with a hand grenade. Then, under heavy fire, Bolton led his men across open ground to the second German machine gun. An enemy sniper trying to cut them off was taken out and the trio continued. Spotted by the machine gun crew and exposed to direct fire, he killed one of the three gunners with carbine fire (a shortened, lighter version of a rifle) and his two comrades shot the other two.
Despite his wounds, he led the bazooka team to an 88mm gun, which was subsequently knocked out. On the way back to his own lines he was wounded again. Rather than expose his men to any more deadly fire, he refused help and ordered them to pull themselves to safety, crawling in great pain until he reached his own lines, where he collapsed.