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Blair Memorial Park

Born:  January 18, 1921 at Altoona, PA

Entered Service in the US Army from Altoona, PA

Earned The Medal of Honor During World War II For heroism January 12, 1945 at Pangasinan Province, Luzon, Philippine Islands

Staff Sergeant Laws led the assault squad when his company attacked enemy hill positions. The enemy force was well supplied with machineguns, ammunition, grenades, and blocks of TNT and could be attacked only across a narrow ridge 70 yards long. At the end of this ridge an enemy pillbox and rifle positions were set in rising ground. Covered by his squad, Staff Sergeant Laws traversed the hogback until close to the pillbox, where he hurled grenades. Though wounded, he persisted in his assault until one of his missiles found knocked out the pillbox. With more grenades, passed to him by members of his squad who had joined him, he led the attack on the entrenched riflemen. He suffered additional wounds as grenades and TNT charges exploded near him. Three Japs rushed him with fixed bayonets, and he emptied the magazine of his machine pistol at them, killing two and engaging in hand-to-hand combat with the third. The two fell to the ground and rolled 50 or 60 feet down a bank. When the dust cleared the Jap lay dead and Staff Sergeant Laws was climbing up the hill with a large gash across the head. He was given first aid and evacuated from the area while his squad completed the destruction of the enemy position.