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PVT Harold Herman Moon

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PVT Harold Herman Moon Famous memorial Veteran

Birth
Albuquerque, Bernalillo County, New Mexico, USA
Death
21 Oct 1944 (aged 23)
Pawing, Leyte Province, Eastern Visayas, Philippines
Burial
Albuquerque, Bernalillo County, New Mexico, USA GPS-Latitude: 35.1092, Longitude: -106.6342
Plot
Block 9, Section 56, Grave 1
Memorial ID
View Source
World War II Medal of Honor Recipient. Served during World War II in the United States Army as a Private in Company G, 34th Infantry, 24th Infantry Division. He was awarded the MOH for his bravery at Pawig, Leyte, Philippine Islands, on October 21, 1944. His citation reads "He fought with conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity when powerful Japanese counterblows were being struck in a desperate effort to annihilate a newly won beachhead. In a forward position, armed with a submachinegun, he met the brunt of a strong, well-supported night attack which quickly enveloped his platoon's flanks. Many men in nearby positions were killed or injured, and Pvt. Moon was wounded as his foxhole became the immediate object of a concentration of mortar and machinegun fire. Nevertheless, he maintained his stand, poured deadly fire into the enemy, daringly exposed himself to hostile fire time after time to exhort and inspire what American troops were left in the immediate area. A Japanese officer, covered by machinegun fire and hidden by an embankment, attempted to knock out his position with grenades, but Pvt. Moon, after protracted and skillful maneuvering, killed him. When the enemy advanced a light machinegun to within 20 yards of the shattered perimeter and fired with telling effects on the remnants of the platoon, he stood up to locate the gun and remained exposed while calling back range corrections to friendly mortars which knocked out the weapon. A little later he killed 2 Japanese as they charged an aid man. By dawn his position, the focal point of the attack for more than 4 hours, was virtually surrounded. In a fanatical effort to reduce it and kill its defender, an entire platoon charged with fixed bayonets. Firing from a sitting position, Pvt. Moon calmly emptied his magazine into the advancing horde, killing 18 and repulsing the attack. In a final display of bravery, he stood up to throw a grenade at a machinegun which had opened fire on the right flank. He was hit and instantly killed, falling in the position from which he had not been driven by the fiercest enemy action. Nearly 200 dead Japanese were found within 100 yards of his foxhole. The continued tenacity, combat sagacity, and magnificent heroism with which Pvt. Moon fought on against overwhelming odds contributed in a large measure to breaking up a powerful enemy threat and did much to ensure our initial successes during a most important operation". His Medal was posthumously issued to him on November 15, 1945.
World War II Medal of Honor Recipient. Served during World War II in the United States Army as a Private in Company G, 34th Infantry, 24th Infantry Division. He was awarded the MOH for his bravery at Pawig, Leyte, Philippine Islands, on October 21, 1944. His citation reads "He fought with conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity when powerful Japanese counterblows were being struck in a desperate effort to annihilate a newly won beachhead. In a forward position, armed with a submachinegun, he met the brunt of a strong, well-supported night attack which quickly enveloped his platoon's flanks. Many men in nearby positions were killed or injured, and Pvt. Moon was wounded as his foxhole became the immediate object of a concentration of mortar and machinegun fire. Nevertheless, he maintained his stand, poured deadly fire into the enemy, daringly exposed himself to hostile fire time after time to exhort and inspire what American troops were left in the immediate area. A Japanese officer, covered by machinegun fire and hidden by an embankment, attempted to knock out his position with grenades, but Pvt. Moon, after protracted and skillful maneuvering, killed him. When the enemy advanced a light machinegun to within 20 yards of the shattered perimeter and fired with telling effects on the remnants of the platoon, he stood up to locate the gun and remained exposed while calling back range corrections to friendly mortars which knocked out the weapon. A little later he killed 2 Japanese as they charged an aid man. By dawn his position, the focal point of the attack for more than 4 hours, was virtually surrounded. In a fanatical effort to reduce it and kill its defender, an entire platoon charged with fixed bayonets. Firing from a sitting position, Pvt. Moon calmly emptied his magazine into the advancing horde, killing 18 and repulsing the attack. In a final display of bravery, he stood up to throw a grenade at a machinegun which had opened fire on the right flank. He was hit and instantly killed, falling in the position from which he had not been driven by the fiercest enemy action. Nearly 200 dead Japanese were found within 100 yards of his foxhole. The continued tenacity, combat sagacity, and magnificent heroism with which Pvt. Moon fought on against overwhelming odds contributed in a large measure to breaking up a powerful enemy threat and did much to ensure our initial successes during a most important operation". His Medal was posthumously issued to him on November 15, 1945.

Bio by: RPD2


Inscription

MEDAL OF HONOR
PVT US ARMY
WORLD WAR II
PURPLE HEART

Gravesite Details

Medal of Honor not CMOH. Please fix narrative.
Thank you



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  • Maintained by: Find a Grave
  • Added: Jun 3, 2000
  • Find a Grave Memorial ID:
  • Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/9845/harold_herman-moon: accessed ), memorial page for PVT Harold Herman Moon (15 Mar 1921–21 Oct 1944), Find a Grave Memorial ID 9845, citing Sunset Memorial Park, Albuquerque, Bernalillo County, New Mexico, USA; Maintained by Find a Grave.