Gus Kefurt
Encyclopedia
Gus J. Kefurt 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
.
Kefurt joined the Army from Youngstown, Ohio
, and by December 23, 1944 was serving as a Staff Sergeant in Company K, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division. On that day and the next, he led his men in a fight against German
forces near Bennwihr
, France
. He exposed himself to hostile fire in order to encourage his men and direct their fire, led his men in the defense of positions despite repeated enemy attacks, and refused medical evacuation even after being seriously wounded. He was killed on December 25, and posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the battle.
Kefurt was buried at the Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial
in Épinal
, France.
Upon re-stationing to Fort Benning in 1996, 3rd Brigade - 3rd Infantry Division designated building 9001 on Kelley Hill as the Kefurt Fitness Center.
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
—for his actions in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Kefurt joined the Army from Youngstown, Ohio
Youngstown, Ohio
Youngstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Mahoning County; it also extends into Trumbull County. The municipality is situated on the Mahoning River, approximately southeast of Cleveland and northwest of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
, and by December 23, 1944 was serving as a Staff Sergeant in Company K, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division. On that day and the next, he led his men in a fight against German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
forces near Bennwihr
Bennwihr
-History:Bennwihr figures in a report from the year 777 by Charlemagne's missi dominici. They refer to the village as Beno Villare , and mention the quality of its wines....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. He exposed himself to hostile fire in order to encourage his men and direct their fire, led his men in the defense of positions despite repeated enemy attacks, and refused medical evacuation even after being seriously wounded. He was killed on December 25, and posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the battle.
Kefurt was buried at the Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial
Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial
Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial is a United States military cemetery in Dinozé, France. The site rests on a plateau above the Moselle River in the foothills of the Vosges Mountains...
in Épinal
Épinal
Épinal is a commune in northeastern France and the capital of the Vosges department. Inhabitants are known as Spinaliens.-Geography:The commune has a land area of 59.24 km²...
, France.
Upon re-stationing to Fort Benning in 1996, 3rd Brigade - 3rd Infantry Division designated building 9001 on Kelley Hill as the Kefurt Fitness Center.
Medal of Honor citation
Staff Sergeant Kefurt's official Medal of Honor citation reads:He distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty on 23 and 24 December 1944, near Bennwihr, France. Early in the attack S/Sgt. Kefurt jumped through an opening in a wall to be confronted by about 15 Germans. Although outnumbered he opened fire, killing 10 and capturing the others. During a seesaw battle which developed he effectively adjusted artilleryArtilleryOriginally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
fire on an enemy tankTankA tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
close to his position although exposed to small armsSmall armsSmall arms is a term of art used by armed forces to denote infantry weapons an individual soldier may carry. The description is usually limited to revolvers, pistols, submachine guns, carbines, assault rifles, battle rifles, multiple barrel firearms, sniper rifles, squad automatic weapons, light...
fire. When night fell he maintained a 3-man outpost in the center of the town in the middle of the German positions and successfully fought off several hostile patrols attempting to penetrate our lines. Assuming command of his platoon the following morning he led it in hand-to-hand fighting through the town until blocked by a tank. Using rifle grenadeRifle grenadeA rifle grenade is a grenade that uses a rifle-based launcher to permit a longer effective range than would be possible if the grenade was thrown by hand...
s he forced surrender of its crew and some supporting infantry. He then continued his attack from house to house against heavy machinegun and rifle fire. Advancing against a strongpoint that was holding up the company, his platoon was subjected to a strong counterattack and infiltration to its rear. Suffering heavy casualties in their exposed position the men remained there due to S/Sgt. Kefurt's personal example of bravery, determination and leadership. He constantly exposed himself to fire by going from man to man to direct fire. During this time he killed approximately 15 of the enemy at close range. Although severely wounded in the leg he refused first aid and immediately resumed fighting. When the forces to his rear were pushed back 3 hours later, he refused to be evacuated, but, during several more counterattacks moved painfully about under intense small arms and mortar fire, stiffening the resistance of his platoon by encouraging individual men and by his own fire until he was killed. As a result of S/Sgt. Kefurt's gallantry the position was maintained.
See also
- List of Medal of Honor recipients
- List of Medal of Honor recipients for World War II