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Honoring American TroopsMedal of Honor Archive

Sergeant · U.S. Army

William Grant Fournier

Sergeant William Grant Fournier, Army, received the Medal of Honor posthumously for actions on January 10, 1943 in Mount Austen, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands during World War II.

World War II January 10, 1943Posthumous

Sergeant William Grant Fournier, a soldier in the U.S. Army, was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously for gallantry on January 10, 1943 in Mount Austen, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands during World War II. At the time he was serving with Company M, 35th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division. Fournier was 29 years old.

Fournier was killed in the action for which his medal was awarded. 2 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day.

Fournier was born on June 21, 1913 in Norwich, New London County, Connecticut. His Medal of Honor is credited to Winterport, Waldo County, Maine. He is buried at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Fournier is one of 474 Medal of Honor recipients from World War II and one of 66 credited to Maine.

★ Gave Their Lives

Official Medal of Honor citation

For gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty. As leader of a machine-gun section charged with the protection of other battalion units, his group was attacked by a superior number of Japanese, his gunner killed, his assistant gunner wounded, and an adjoining guncrew put out of action. Ordered to withdraw from this hazardous position, Sgt. Fournier refused to retire but rushed forward to the idle gun and, with the aid of another soldier who joined him, held up the machine gun by the tripod to increase its field of action. They opened fire and inflicted heavy casualties upon the enemy. While so engaged both these gallant soldiers were killed, but their sturdy defensive action was a decisive factor in the following success of the attacking battalion.

Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.

Wounds and death in action

Battles and campaigns

Also served in: World War II.

Places

  • Born: Norwich — map
  • Died: Guadalcanal — map
  • Buried: National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific — map

Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in Maine →

Timeline

  1. June 21, 1913
    Born in Norwich, New London County, Connecticut
  2. January 10, 1943
    Act of valor — Mount Austen, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands
    Age 29. Company M, 35th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division Killed in action.
  3. Resting place
    National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific
    Honolulu, Hawaii

Biography

William Grant Fournier (June 21, 1913 – January 13, 1943) 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.

From the Wikipedia article “William G. Fournier”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →

Also honored for actions on January 10, 1943

Howard Walter Gilmore Commander · Navy World War II · 1943 ✦ LH Lewis R. Hall Technician Fifth Grade · Army World War II · 1943 ✦

More World War II recipients from Maine

Jay Zeamer Jr. Major · Air Force World War II · 1943 Herbert Emery Schonland Lieutenant Commander · Navy World War II · 1943 Edward Carl Dahlgren Second Lieutenant · Army World War II · 1945 RW Robert Turner Waugh First Lieutenant · Army World War II · 1944 ✦
Sources. Service and award details compiled from the recipient record of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Wikidata and Wikipedia. The narrative summary is generated from these records. Spotted an error? Send a correction.