Edward A. Silk First Lieutenant, United States Army |
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in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, on June 8, 1916. He earned his Medal of Honor
while serving in Company E, 398th US Infantry, 100th Infantry Division,
at St. Pravel, France, on November 23, 1944, during World War II.
He died on November 19, 1955 and was buried
in Section 30 of Arlington National Cemetery.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Company E, 398th Infantry, 100th Infantry Division. Place and date: Near St. Pravel, France, 23 November 1944. Entered service at: Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Born: 8 June 1916, Johnstown, Pennsyvalnia. G.O. No.: 97, 1 November 1945. Citation: 1st Lt. Edward A. Silk commanded the weapons
platoon of Company E, 398th Infantry, on 23 November 1944, when the end
battalion was assigned the mission of seizing high ground overlooking Moyenmoutier
France, prior to an attack on the city itself. His company jumped off in
the lead at dawn and by noon had reached the edge of a woods in the vicinity
of St. Pravel where scouts saw an enemy sentry standing guard before a
farmhouse in a valley below. One squad, engaged in reconnoitering the area,
was immediately pinned down by intense machinegun and automatic weapons
fire from within the house. Skillfully deploying his light machinegun section,
1st Lt. Silk answered enemy fire, but when 15 minutes had elapsed with
no slackening of resistance, he decided to eliminate the strong point by
a l-man attack. Running 100 yards across an open field to the shelter of
a low stone wall directly in front of the farmhouse, he fired into the
door and windows with his carbine; then, in full view of the enemy, vaulted
the wall and dashed 50 yards through a hail of bullets to the left side
of the house, where he hurled a grenade through a window, silencing a machinegun
and killing 2 gunners. In attempting to move to the right side of the house
he drew fire from a second machinegun emplaced in the woodshed. With magnificent
courage he rushed this position in the face of direct fire and succeeded
in neutralizing the weapon and killing the 2 gunners by throwing grenades
into the structure. His supply of grenades was by now exhausted, but undaunted,
he dashed back to the side of the farmhouse and began to throw rocks through
a window, demanding the surrender of the remaining enemy. Twelve Germans,
overcome by his relentless assault and confused by his unorthodox methods,
gave up to the lone American. By his gallant willingness to assume the
full burden of the attack and the intrepidity with which he carried out
his extremely hazardous mission, 1st Lt. Silk enabled his battalion to
continue its advance and seize its objective.
Photo courtesy of Raymond L. Collins, 1990 |
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