BEYER, ARTHUR O.
Rank and organization:
Corporal, U.S. Army, Company C, 603d Tank Destroyer Battalion. Place
and date: Near Arloncourt, Belgium, 15 January 1945. Entered
service at: St. Ansgar, lowa. Born: 20 May 1909, Rock
Township, Mitchell County, lowa. G.O. No.: 73, 30 August
1945.
Citation:
He displayed conspicuous gallantry in action. His platoon, in which he
was a tank-destroyer gunner, was held up by antitank, machinegun, and
rifle fire from enemy troops dug in along a ridge about 200 yards to
the front. Noting a machinegun position in this defense line, he fired
upon it with his 76-mm. gun killing 1 man and silencing the weapon. He
dismounted from his vehicle and, under direct enemy observation,
crossed open ground to capture the 2 remaining members of the crew.
Another machinegun, about 250 yards to the left, continued to fire on
him. Through withering fire, he advanced on the position. Throwing a
grenade into the emplacement, he killed 1 crewmember and again
captured the 2 survivors. He was subjected to concentrated small-arms
fire but, with great bravery, he worked his way a quarter mile along
the ridge, attacking hostile soldiers in their foxholes with his
carbine and grenades. When he had completed his self-imposed mission
against powerful German forces, he had destroyed 2 machinegun
positions, killed 8 of the enemy and captured 18 prisoners, including
2 bazooka teams. Cpl. Beyer's intrepid action and unflinching
determination to close with and destroy the enemy eliminated the
German defense line and enabled his task force to gain its objective.
