Second Lieutenant Charles William Shea was a soldier in the U.S. Army who received the Medal of Honor for his actions on May 12, 1944 near Mount Damiano, Italy during World War II. At the time he was serving with 2d Squad, 2d Platoon, Company F, 2d Battalion, 350th Infantry, 88th Infantry Division. Shea was 22 years old.
The medal was presented on December 1, 1944. Montecatini, Italy, presented by Lt. Gen. Mark Clark. He later rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
Shea was born on August 24, 1921 in Bronx County, New York. His Medal of Honor is credited to New York, New York. Shea died on April 7, 1994 in Plainview, New York, at the age of 72. He is buried at Long Island National Cemetery in Farmingdale, New York.
Shea is one of 474 Medal of Honor recipients from World War II and one of 678 credited to New York.
Official Medal of Honor citation
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty, on 12 May 1944, near Mount Damiano, Italy. As 2d Lt. Shea and his company were advancing toward a hill occupied by the enemy, three enemy machine guns suddenly opened fire, inflicting heavy casualties upon the company and halting its advance. Second Lt. Shea immediately moved forward to eliminate these machine-gun nests in order to enable his company to continue its attack. The deadly hail of machine-gun fire at first pinned him down, but boldly continuing his advance, 2d Lt. Shea crept up to the first nest. Throwing several hand grenades, he forced the four enemy soldiers manning this position to surrender, and disarming them, he sent them to the rear. He then crawled to the second machine-gun position and after a short firefight forced two more German soldiers to surrender. At this time, the third machine gun fired at him, and while deadly small-arms fire pitted the earth around him, 2d Lt. Shea crawled toward the nest. Suddenly he stood up and rushed the emplacement and with well-directed fire from his rifle, he killed all three of the enemy machine gunners. Second Lt. Shea's display of personal valor was an inspiration to the officers and men of his company.
Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.
How he died
- Manner of death: natural causes
- Cause of death: myocardial infarction
- Age at death: 72
- Resting place: Long Island National Cemetery
Cause and manner of death: Wikidata.
Other decorations and honors
Besides the Medal of Honor, Charles William Shea received:
Source: Wikidata. Gold chips link to our guide to that decoration.
Battles and campaigns
Also served in: World War II.
Life beyond the battlefield
- Education: United States Army Infantry School
Source: Wikidata.
Places
Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in New York →
Timeline
- August 24, 1921Born in Bronx County, New York
- May 12, 1944Act of valor — near Mount Damiano, ItalyAge 22. 2d Squad, 2d Platoon, Company F, 2d Battalion, 350th Infantry, 88th Infantry Division
- December 1, 1944Medal of Honor presentedMontecatini, Italy, presented by Lt. Gen. Mark Clark
- April 7, 1994Died in Plainview, New YorkAge 72.
- Resting placeLong Island National CemeteryFarmingdale, New York
Biography
Charles William Shea (August 24, 1921 – April 7, 1994) was a United States Army officer and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor–for his actions in World War II.
From the Wikipedia article “Charles W. Shea”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →
