WARE, KEITH L.
Rank and Organization: Lieutenant Colonel, U.S .
Army, 1st Battalion, 1 5th Infantry, 3d Infantry Division. Place and Date Near
Sigolsheim, France, 26 December 1944. Entered Service at: Glendale, Calif. Born:
23 November 1915, Denver, Colo. G.O. No.: 47, 18 June 1945.
Citation:
Commanding the 1st Battalion attacking a strongly held enemy position on a hill near
Sigolsheim, France, on 26 December 1944, found that 1 of his assault companies had been
stopped and forced to dig in by a concentration of enemy artillery, mortar, and machinegun
fire. The company had suffered casualties in attempting to take the hill. Realizing that
his men must be inspired to new courage, Lt. Col. Ware went forward 150 yards beyond the
most forward elements of his command, and for 2 hours reconnoitered the enemy positions,
deliberately drawing fire upon himself which caused the enemy to disclose his
dispositions. Returning to his company, he armed himself with an automatic rifle and
boldly advanced upon the enemy, followed by 2 officers, 9 enlisted men, and a tank.
Approaching an enemy machinegun, Lt. Col. Ware shot 2 German riflemen and fired tracers
into the emplacement, indicating its position to his tank, which promptly knocked the gun
out of action. Lt. Col. Ware turned his attention to a second machinegun, killing 2 of its
supporting riflemen and forcing the others to surrender. The tank destroyed the gun.
Having expended the ammunition for the automatic rifle, Lt. Col. Ware took up an Ml rifle,
killed a German rifleman, and fired upon a third machinegun 50 yards away. His tank
silenced the gun. Upon his approach to a fourth machinegun, its supporting riflemen
surrendered and his tank disposed of the gun. During this action Lt. Col. Ware's small
assault group was fully engaged in attacking enemy positions that were not receiving his
direct and personal attention. Five of his party of 11 were casualties and Lt. Col. Ware
was wounded but refused medical attention until this important hill position was cleared
of the enemy and securely occupied by his command.
