Medal of Honor Citations

The President of the United States takes pride in awarding the MEDAL of IT HONOR posthumously to 578 10m 357-2 STAFF SERGEANT HOWARD E. WOODFORD, 130th INFANTRY, UNITED STATES ARMY for service as set forth in the following 72/6/46 7 CITATION: "Sergeant Woodford, a battalion intelligence sergeant with the 130th Infantry, volunteered to investigate the delay in a scheduled attack by an attached guerrilla battalion near Tabio, Luzon, Philippine Islands, on 6 June 1945. Reaching the line of departure, he found that the lead company, in combat for the first time, was immobilized by intense enemy mortar, machine gun and rifle fire which had caused casualties to key personnel. Knowing that further failure to advance would endanger the flanks of adjacent units as well as delay capture of the objective, he immediately took command of the company, evacuated the wounded, reorganized the unit under fire and prepared to attack. He repeatedly exposed himself to draw revealing fire from the Japanese strongpoints, and then moved forward with a five-man covering force to determine exact enemy positions. Although intense enemy machine gun fire killed two and wounded his other three men, Sergeant Woodford resolutely con- tinued his patrol before returning to the company. Then, against bitter resistance, he guided the guerrillas up a. barren hill and captured the objective personally accounting for two hostile machine gunners and courageously reconnoitering sirong defensive positions before directing neutralizing fire. After organizing a perimeter defense for the night, he was given permission by radio to return to his battalion, but, feeling that he was needed to maintain proper control, chose to remain with the guerrillas. Before dawn the next morning, the enemy launched a fierce suicide attack with mortars, grenades and small arms fire, and infiltrated through the perimeter. Though wounded by a grenade, Sergeant Woodford remainedat his post calling for mortar support until bullets knocked out his radio. Then, seizing a rifle, he began working his way around the perimeter, encouraging the men until he reached a weak spot where two guerrillas had been killed. Filling this gap himself, he fought off the enemy. At daybreak he was found dead in his foxhole, but thirty-seven enemy dead were lying in and around this position. By his daring, skillful and inspiring leadership, as well as his gallant determination to search out and kill the enemy, Sergeant Woodford led an inexperienced unit in capturing and securing a vital objective, and was responsible for the successful continuance of a vitally important general advance." HARRY S. TRUMAN Yatd to See Was 1-14-X6 JAN 12 1946