*KANDLE, VICTOR L.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant,
U.S. Army, 15th Infantry, 3d Infantry Division. Place and date: Near La Forge,
France, 9 October 1944. Entered service at: Redwood City, Calif. Birth: Roy,
Wash. G.O. No: 37, 11 May 1945.
Citation:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of his life above and beyond the call of
duty. On 9 October 1944, at about noon, near La Forge, France, 1st Lt. Kandle, while
leading a reconnaissance patrol into enemy territory, engaged in a duel at pointblank
range with a German field officer and killed him. Having already taken 5 enemy prisoners
that morning, he led a skeleton platoon of 16 men, reinforced with a light machinegun
squad, through fog and over precipitous mountain terrain to fall on the rear of a German
quarry stronghold which had checked the advance of an infantry battalion for 2 days.
Rushing forward, several yards ahead of his assault elements, 1st Lt. Kandle fought his
way into the heart of the enemy strongpoint, and, by his boldness and audacity, forced the
Germans to surrender. Harassed by machinegun fire from a position which he had bypassed in
the dense fog, he moved to within 15 yards of the enemy, killed a German machinegunner
with accurate rifle fire and led his men in the destruction of another machinegun crew and
its rifle security elements. Finally, he led his small force against a fortified house
held by 2 German officers and 30 enlisted men. After establishing a base of fire, he
rushed forward alone through an open clearing in full view of the enemy, smashed through a
barricaded door, and forced all 32 Germans to surrender. His intrepidity and bold
leadership resulted in the capture or killing of 3 enemy officers and 54 enlisted men, the
destruction of 3 enemy strongpoints, and the seizure of enemy positions which had halted a
battalion attack.
