Gerald L. Endl
United States Army Medal of Honor recipient (1915–1944)
Gerald Leon Endl (August 20, 1915 – July 11, 1944) was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II.
Biography
Born and raised in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, Endl later married Anna Marie Goethe and moved to Janesville, from where he was inducted into the U.S. Army in April 1941. By July 11, 1944, he was serving in New Guinea as a staff sergeant in the 128th Infantry Regiment, 32nd Infantry Division. During a Japanese attack on that day, near Anamo, he single-handedly held off the advance until several wounded comrades could be rescued. He was killed while carrying the last wounded man to safety. For these actions, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor eight months later, on March 13, 1945.
Medal of Honor citation
Staff Sergeant Endl's official Medal of Honor citation reads:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty near Anamo, New Guinea, on 11 July 1944. S/Sgt. Endl was at the head of the leading platoon of his company advancing along a jungle trail when enemy troops were encountered and a fire fight developed. The enemy attacked in force under heavy rifle, machinegun, and grenade fire. His platoon leader wounded, S/Sgt.
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This entry incorporates text from “Gerald L. Endl” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.