HISTORY OF VETERANS DAY

THE SOLDIER'S RETURN

Blog 10 Post of 11

The young man, gravely injured during the Battle of Anzio in Italy, returned to the United States where he would receive the military’s highest award for his conspicuous gallantry at the risk of life, above and beyond the call of duty.  S/Sgt. George John Hall of Stoneham, Massachusetts, an undeniable hero of WWII.  His citation reads:

“For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty. Attacking across flat, open terrain under direct enemy observation, S/Sgt. Hall’s company was pinned down by grazing fire from 3 enemy machine guns and harassing sniper fire. S/Sgt. Hall volunteered to eliminate these obstacles in the path of advance. Crawling along a plowed furrow through furious machine gun fire, he made his way to a point within hand grenade range of 1 of the enemy positions. He pounded the enemy with 4 hand grenades, and when the smoke had died away, S/Sgt. Hall and 2 dead Germans occupied the position, while 4 of the enemy were crawling back to our lines as prisoners. Discovering a quantity of German potato-masher grenades in the position, S/Sgt. Hall engaged the second enemy nest in a deadly exchange of grenades. Each time he exposed himself to throw a grenade the Germans fired machine gun bursts at him. The vicious duel finally ended in S/Sgt. Hall’s favor with 5 of the enemy surrendered and 5 others lay dead. Turning his attention to the third machine gun, S/Sgt. Hall left his position and crawled along a furrow, the enemy firing frantically in an effort to halt him. As he neared his final objective, an enemy artillery concentration fell on the area, and S/Sgt. Hall’s right leg was severed by a shell burst. With 2 enemy machine guns eliminated, his company was able to flank the third and continue its advance without incurring excessive casualties. S/Sgt. Hall’s fearlessness, his determined fighting spirit, and his prodigious combat skill exemplify the heroic tradition of the American Infantryman.”

His hometown deservedly held a hero’s welcome upon for him with all the pomp and circumstance he deserved.  Later the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 620 would be founded in his name.   Stoneham would also commemorate his selfless feats by naming their community pool in his honor with a marker bearing his picture and description of his deeds.

But S/Sgt. Hall had been severely injured and sadly, at the young age of 25, he succumbed to the lingering complications of his badly wounded leg, leaving his wife Elizabeth a widow.  So great were the number of citizens wishing to attend his funeral, Stoneham had to hold his service in armory.  Armories were once needed during WWII to store artillery.  So many have vanished in this modern era, including the Stoneham Armory which now houses a local hardware store.

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