Serving as a soldier in the U.S. Army, Private First Class Henry Schauer received the Medal of Honor for his actions between May 23 and 24, 1944 near Cisterna di Littoria, Italy during World War II. At the time he was serving with Battle Patrol, Company F, 2d Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3d Infantry Division. Schauer was 25 years old.
6 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on October 18, 1944. He later rose to the rank of Technical Sergeant.
Schauer was born on October 9, 1918 in Clinton, Custer County, Oklahoma. His Medal of Honor is credited to Scobey, Daniels County, Montana. Schauer died on June 16, 1997 in Salem, Oregon, at the age of 78. He is buried at City View Cemetery in Salem, Oregon.
Schauer is one of 474 Medal of Honor recipients from World War II and one of 9 credited to Montana.
Official Medal of Honor citation
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty. On 23 May 1944, at 12 noon, Pfc. (now T/Sgt.) Schauer left the cover of a ditch to engage four German snipers who opened fire on the patrol from its rear. Standing erect he walked deliberately 30 yards toward the enemy, stopped amid the fire of four rifles centered on him, and with four bursts from his BAR, each at a different range, killed all of the snipers. Catching sight of a fifth sniper waiting for the patrol behind a house chimney, Pfc. Schauer brought him down with another burst. Shortly after, when a heavy enemy artillery concentration and two machine guns temporarily halted the patrol, Pfc. Schauer again left cover to engage the enemy weapons singlehandedly. While shells exploded within 15 yards, showering dirt over him, and strings of grazing German tracer bullets whipped past him at chest level, Pfc. Schauer knelt, killed the two gunners of the machine gun only 60 yards from him with a single burst from his BAR, and crumpled two other enemy soldiers who ran to man the gun. Inserting a fresh magazine in his BAR, Pfc. Schauer shifted his body to fire at the other weapon 500 yards distant and emptied his weapon into the enemy crew, killing all four Germans. Next morning, when shells from a German Mark VI tank and a machine gun only 100 yards distant again forced the patrol to seek cover, Pfc. Schauer crawled toward the enemy machine gun, stood upright only 80 yards from the weapon as its bullets cut the surrounding ground, and four tank shells fired directly at him burst within 20 yards. Raising his BAR to his shoulder, Pfc. Schauer killed the four members of the German machine-gun crew with one burst of fire.
Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.
Other decorations and honors
Besides the Medal of Honor, Henry Schauer received:
Source: Wikidata. Gold chips link to our guide to that decoration.
Battles and campaigns
Also served in: World War II.
Places
Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in Montana →
Timeline
- October 9, 1918Born in Clinton, Custer County, Oklahoma
- May 23 - 24, 1944Act of valor — near Cisterna di Littoria, ItalyAge 25. Battle Patrol, Company F, 2d Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3d Infantry Division
- October 18, 1944Medal of Honor presented
- June 16, 1997Died in Salem, OregonAge 78.
- Resting placeCity View CemeterySalem, Oregon
Biography
Henry Schauer (October 9, 1918 – June 16, 1997) 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. Schauer joined the Army from Scobey, Montana, and by May 23, 1944, was serving as a private first class in the 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division. On that day, near Cisterna di Littoria, Italy, he single-handedly killed five German snipers and disabled two machine gun emplacements. The next day he destroyed a third German machine gun nest. He was subsequently promoted to technical sergeant and, on October 27, 1944, awarded the Medal of Honor.
From the Wikipedia article “Henry Schauer”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →
