16 December

T/Sgt VERNON McGARlTY
Company L, 393d Infantry
99th Infantry Division
Krinkelt, Belgium
16 December 1944

Although painfully wounded, McGarity refused evacuation and returned to lead his men in the defending his position. McGarity braved heavy enemy fire to rescue a wounded comrade and destroyed the enemy lead tank in the process.

Fire from his squad drove the attacking infantrymen back, and 3 supporting tanks withdrew. He rescued another wounded American, and then directed fire on a light cannon which had been brought up by the enemy.

When ammunition began to run low, T/Sgt. McGarity, remembering an old ammunition hole about 100 yards out in the open toward the enemy. He ran out braving a concentration of hostile fire to replenish his unit’s ammo supply.

The enemy managed to deploy a heavy machinegun to the rear and flank of the squad’s position, cutting off the only escape route. Unhesitatingly, McGarity took it upon himself to destroy this menace single-handedly.

He left cover, and while under steady fire from the enemy, killed or wounded all the hostile gunners with deadly accurate rifle fire and destroyed the position.  Only after his squad’s last round had been fired was the enemy able to advance and capture the intrepid leader and his men.

The extraordinary bravery and extreme devotion to duty of T/Sgt. McGarity supported a remarkable delaying action which provided the time necessary for assembling reserves and forming a line against which the German striking power was shattered.