28 January

T/5 ERIC G. GIBSON
Company Cook
3d Infantry Division
Near Isola Bella, Italy
28 Jan 1944

A shortage of experienced men and NCOs due to Battle casualties forced T/5 Gibson, the Company Cook, to take command and lead a squad of Replacements into battle.

They attacked and destroyed 4 enemy gun emplacements, killed 5 enemy soldiers and too 2 prisoners for interrogation, and secured his units left flank.

Gibson advanced down the wide stream ditch when an enemy soldier opened fire on him with a machine pistol. Despite the steady barrage of Machinegun fire, Gibson charged the position, firing his weapon from the hip every few steps.

Once he reached the German position, Gibson eliminated it.

Enemy artillery knocked Gibson flat then, as he got up, two soldiers fired on Gibson from approx 75 meters.

Gibson charged his enemy in a sprint…halfway there, a machinegun opened fire on him. Gibson never faltered and again eliminated the enemy capturing one gunner and killing the other.

Gibson crawled back to his squad and ordered them lay down a base of fire while he flanked the enemy.

Gibson crawled 125 yards through an artillery concentration and the crossfire of 2, charged the enemy emplacement with hand grenades and his submachine gun, killing 2 of the enemy and capturing a third.

Gibson went forward alone to reconnoiter.

Hearing an exchange of gunfire, Gibson’s squad went forward to find that T/5 Gibson had run 35 yards toward an outpost and killed the machine gunner.

Gibson was killed in the engagement.