Henry F. Warner
Henry F. Warner (August 23, 1923 – December 21, 1944) 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.
Henry F. Warner | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 23, 1923 Troy, North Carolina |
| Died | December 21, 1944 (aged 21) near Bütgenbach, Belgium |
| Place of burial | Southside Cemetery, Troy, North Carolina |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/ | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1943 - 1944 |
| Rank | Corporal |
| Unit | 2nd Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Medal of Honor Purple Heart |
Biography
Warner joined the Army from his birth city in January 1943,[1] and by December 20, 1944 was serving as a Corporal in the Antitank Company of the 2nd Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division. During a battle on that day, near Bütgenbach, Belgium, Warner continued to man his anti-tank gun through the night and into the next morning, despite intense fire from the approaching German tanks. He successfully disabled several enemy tanks before being killed in action. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor six months later, on June 23, 1945. The now defunct Warner Barracks complex was appropriated in 1950 by U.S. forces and renamed in honor of Cpl. Henry F. Warner. Warner Barracks was officially closed in a ceremony on September 12, 2014, thus ending a long-standing tradition of U.S. Military presence in Bamberg and leaving Katterbach Kaserne in Ansbach as the sole military community in Bavaria.
Warner, aged 21 at his death, was buried at Southside Cemetery in his hometown of Troy, North Carolina.
Medal of Honor recipients
Corporal Warner's official Medal of Honor citation reads:
Serving as 57-mm. antitank gunner with the 2d Battalion, he was a major factor in stopping enemy tanks during heavy attacks against the battalion position near Dom Butgenbach, Belgium, on 20–21 December 1944. In the first attack, launched in the early morning of the 20th, enemy tanks succeeded in penetrating parts of the line. Cpl. Warner, disregarding the concentrated cannon and machinegun fire from 2 tanks bearing down on him, and ignoring the imminent danger of being overrun by the infantry moving under tank cover, destroyed the first tank and scored a direct and deadly hit upon the second. A third tank approached to within 5 yards of his position while he was attempting to clear a jammed breach lock. Jumping from his gun pit, he engaged in a pistol duel with the tank commander standing in the turret, killing him and forcing the tank to withdraw. Following a day and night during which our forces were subjected to constant shelling, mortar barrages, and numerous unsuccessful infantry attacks, the enemy struck in great force on the early morning of the 21st. Seeing a Mark IV tank looming out of the mist and heading toward his position, Cpl. Warner scored a direct hit. Disregarding his injuries, he endeavored to finish the loading and again fire at the tank whose motor was now aflame, when a second machinegun burst killed him. Cpl. Warner's gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty contributed materially to the successful defense against the enemy attacks.
References
- "Henry F. Warner". Claim to Fame: Medal of Honor recipients. Find a Grave. Retrieved 2007-10-22.
- "Medal of Honor recipients - World War II (T–Z)". Medal of Honor citations. United States Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. Retrieved 2007-10-22.