*BENJAMIN, GEORGE, JR.
Rank and organization: Private First
Class, U.S. Army, Company A, 306th Infantry, 77th Infantry Division. Place and date:
Leyte, Philippine Islands, 21 December 1944. Entered service at: Carney's Point,
N.J. Birth: Philadelphia, Pa. G.O. No.: 49, 28 June 1945.
Citation:
He was a radio operator, advancing in the rear of his company as it engaged a
well-defended Japanese strong point holding up the progress of the entire battalion. When
a rifle platoon supporting a light tank hesitated in its advance, he voluntarily and with
utter disregard for personal safety left his comparatively secure position and ran across
bullet-whipped terrain to the tank, waving and shouting to the men of the platoon to
follow. Carrying his bulky radio and armed only with a pistol, he fearlessly penetrated
intense machinegun and rifle fire to the enemy position, where he killed 1 of the enemy in
a foxhole and moved on to annihilate the crew of a light machinegun. Heedless of the
terrific fire now concentrated on him, he continued to spearhead the assault, killing 2
more of the enemy and exhorting the other men to advance, until he fell mortally wounded.
After being evacuated to an aid station, his first thought was still of the American
advance. Overcoming great pain he called for the battalion operations officer to report
the location of enemy weapons and valuable tactical information he had secured in his
heroic charge. The unwavering courage, the unswerving devotion to the task at hand, the
aggressive leadership of Pfc. Benjamin were a source of great and lasting inspiration to
his comrades and were to a great extent responsible for the success of the battalion's
mission.
