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Buried at A.B.M.C. Netherlands
  D-21-10  

Born:  at Brooklyn, NY

Entered Service in the US Army from Brooklyn, NY

Earned The Medal of Honor During World War II For heroism March 30, 1945 at Eisern, Germany

Died:  March 30, 1945

Staff Sergeant Peterson was acting platoon sergeant near Eisern, Germany, when his company encountered an enemy battalion. His platoon was given the mission of flanking the enemy positions while remaining units attacked frontally. Staff Sergeant Peterson crawled to the lead and motioned for his men to follow. A mortar shell fell close by and wounded him in the legs, but, although bleeding and suffering intense pain, he continued forward. Two machineguns fired at close range, but, braving this he crawled steadily toward it and worked his way alone to a shallow draw where he threw a grenade into the nearest enemy nest, killing or wounding all its crew. The second gun turned on him, but he calmly and deliberately threw a second grenade which killed all four Germans who occupied it. Spotted by an enemy rifleman who shot him in the arm, he crawled 20 yards until a third machinegun opened fire on him. Weak from loss of blood and suffering great pain, he again raised to his knees and fired a grenade killing three of the enemy and causing the remaining one to flee. He was being treated by an aid man when he saw one of his men seriously wounded. He began to crawl to assist his comrade, whom he had almost reached when he was struck and fatally wounded.