US Army photo by Specialist Anna Pol.
FIRST LIEUTENANT
GARLIN M CONNER
First Lieutenant Garlin M Conner distinguished
himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity
while serving with Company K, 3d Battalion, 7th
Infantry Regiment, 3d Infantry Division. On the
morning of 24 January 1945, near the town of
Houssen, France, German forces ferociously
counterattacked the front left flank of the 7th
Infantry with 600 Mark VI Conner, having recently returned to his unit
after recovering from a wound received in an
working as Intelligence
Officer in the Battalion Command Post
at the time of the attack. Understanding the
devastating effect that the advancing enemy
have on Lieutenant
Conner immediately volunteered to run straight
into the heart of to get to a
position from which he could on the advancing enemy With complete disregard for his own safety,
Lieutenant maneuvered 400 yards
through fire that trees in his path and rained while unrolling telephone to communicate with Battalion command
reaching Battalion’s continued move forward under assault to a position 30 yards in front
defending United States where
he plunged into a ditch that provided
protection from advancing enemy’s
gun and small arms fire. rounds impacting all Conner directed fire adjusting round of artillery from
advance and seek cover behind
nearby For three Conner remained in compromised enduring the repeated of German
infantry at one advanced to
within five yards As infantry regrouped and to mass in Lieutenant artillery on having resolved die
if destroy the
friendly shells blanketing
his and exploding feet Conner continued to fire on the enemy assault LIEUTENANT
Lieutenant M Conner distinguished
by of gallantry and with Company 3d Infantry 3d Infantry the
morning of near forces counterattacked left flflank 7th
Infantry Regiment with 600 infantry troops, six
Mark VI tanks, and tank destroyers. Lieutenant
returned his wound received in earlier battle, was working as the Intelligence
Offifficer in the 3d Battalion Command Post
the time of the devastating that the armor could have on the Battalion, Lieutenant
Conner immediately into the heart of the enemy assault to get to a
position from which he could direct friendly
artillery on the advancing enemy forces.
With his own Lieutenant Conner maneuvered 400 yards
through enemy artillery fifire that destroyed
trees in his path and rained shrapnel all around
him, while unrolling telephone wire needed
to communicate with the Battalion command
post. Upon reaching the Battalion’s front
line, he continued to move forward under the
enemy assault to a position 30 yards in front
of the defending United States forces, where
he plunged into a shallow ditch that provided
minimal protection from the advancing enemy’s
heavy machine gun and small arms fififire. With
rounds impacting all around him, Lieutenant
Conner calmly directed multiple fififire missions,
adjusting round after round of artillery from
his prone position, until the enemy was forced
to halt its advance and seek cover behind
a nearby dike. For three hours, Lieutenant
Conner remained in this compromised position,
enduring the repeated onslaught of German
infantry which, at one point, advanced to
within fifive yards of his position. As German
infantry regrouped and began to mass in an
overwhelming assault, Lieutenant Conner
ordered friendly artillery to concentrate directly
on his own position, having resolved to die
if necessary, to destroy the enemy advance.
Ignoring the friendly artillery shells blanketing
his position and exploding mere feet from
him, Lieutenant Conner continued to direct
artillery fifire on the enemy assault swarming
Pauline Lyda Wells Conner, the spouse of US
Army 1st Lieutenant Garlin M Conner, and
their son Paul Conner, at the White House in
Washington, DC, 26 June 2018. Conner was
posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor
for actions while serving as an intelligence
officer during World War II, 24 January 1945.
US Army photo by Specialist Anna Pol.
The TRUMP RALLY Publication 133