Ernest W. Prussman

Infobox Military Person
name=Ernest W. Prussman
born=
died= death date|1944|9|8
placeofbirth=Baltimore, Maryland
placeofdeath=near Loscoat, Brittany, France
placeofburial= Brittany American Cemetery and Memorial Saint-James, France


caption=
nickname=
allegiance= United States of America
branch=United States Army
serviceyears=
rank=Private First Class
commands=
unit=13th Infantry Regiment, 8th Infantry Division
battles=World War II
awards=Medal of Honor
relations=
laterwork=

Ernest W. Prussman (died September 8, 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.

Biography

Prussman joined the Army from Brighton, Massachusetts, and by September 8, 1944 was serving as a private first class in the 13th Infantry Regiment, 8th Infantry Division. On that day, near Loscoat (now an industrial district of Brest) in Brittany, France, Prussman advanced ahead of his unit and single-handedly captured several enemy soldiers and destroyed a machine gun nest before being killed. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor seven months later, on April 17, 1945.

Prussman was buried at the Brittany American Cemetery and Memorial in Saint-James, Basse-Normandie, France.

Medal of Honor citation

Private First Class Prussman's official Medal of Honor citation reads:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty on September 8, 1944, near Les Coates " [most probably a wrong transcription of Loscoat] ", Brittany, France. When the advance of the flank companies of 2 battalions was halted by intense enemy mortar, machinegun, and sniper fire from a fortified position on his left, Pfc. Prussman maneuvered his squad to assault the enemy fortifications. Hurdling a hedgerow, he came upon 2 enemy riflemen whom he disarmed. After leading his squad across an open field to the next hedgerow, he advanced to a machinegun position, destroyed the gun, captured its crew and 2 riflemen. Again advancing ahead of his squad in the assault, he was mortally wounded by an enemy rifleman, but as he fell to the ground he threw a handgrenade, killing his opponent. His superb leadership and heroic action at the cost of his life so demoralized the enemy that resistance at this point collapsed, permitting the 2 battalions to continue their advance.

ee also

*List of Medal of Honor recipients
*List of Medal of Honor recipients for World War II

References

*findagrave|9640508 Retrieved on 2007-11-09

*cite web
publisher = U.S. Army Center of Military History
title = Medal of Honor Recipients - World War II (M-S)
work = Medal of Honor Citations
date = July 16, 2007
url = http://www.army.mil/cmh/html/moh/wwII-m-s.html
accessdate = 2007-11-09

Persondata
NAME= Prussman, Ernest W.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION= United States Army Medal of Honor recipient
DATE OF BIRTH=
PLACE OF BIRTH= Baltimore, Maryland
DATE OF DEATH= September 8, 1944
PLACE OF DEATH= near Loscoat(Brest), Brittany, France