Herschel F. Briles

Infobox Military Person
name=Herschel F. Briles
born=birth date|1914|2|7
died=death date and age|1994|7|17|1914|2|7
placeofbirth=Colfax, Iowa
placeofdeath=
placeofburial= Waveland Cemetery, Prairie City, Iowa


caption=
nickname=
allegiance=United States of America
branch=United States Army
serviceyears=
rank=First Sergeant
commands=
unit=899th Tank Destroyer Battalion
battles=World War II
awards=Medal of Honor
relations=
laterwork=

Herschel F. Briles (February 7, 1914 – July 17, 1994) 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

Briles joined the Army from Fort Des Moines, Iowa, and by November 20, 1944 was serving as a Staff Sergeant in Company C, 899th Tank Destroyer Battalion. On that day, near Scherpenseel, Germany, he left cover to rescue the wounded crew of a burning tank destroyer and extinguish the vehicle's flames. The next day, he single-handedly forced the surrender of fifty-five German soldiers and again left cover to reach a burning tank destroyer, rescue its crew, and put out the flames. For these actions, he was awarded the Medal of Honor ten months later, on September 10, 1945.

Briles reached the rank of first sergeant before leaving the Army.

Death and burial

He died at age 80 and was buried in Waveland Cemetery, Prairie City, Iowa.

Medal of Honor citation

Briles' official Medal of Honor citation reads:

He was leading a platoon of destroyers across an exposed slope near Scherpenseel, Germany, on 20 November 1944, when they came under heavy enemy artillery fire. A direct hit was scored on 1 of the vehicles, killing 1 man, seriously wounding 2 others, and setting the destroyer afire. With a comrade, S/Sgt. Briles left the cover of his own armor and raced across ground raked by artillery and small-arms fire to the rescue of the men in the shattered destroyer. Without hesitation, he lowered himself into the burning turret, removed the wounded and then extinguished the fire. From a position he assumed the next morning, he observed hostile infantrymen advancing. With his machinegun, he poured such deadly fire into the enemy ranks that an entire pocket of 55 Germans surrendered, clearing the way for a junction between American units which had been held up for 2 days. Later that day, when another of his destroyers was hit by a concealed enemy tank, he again left protection to give assistance. With the help of another soldier, he evacuated two wounded under heavy fire and, returning to the burning vehicle, braved death from exploding ammunition to put out the flames. By his heroic initiative and complete disregard for personal safety, S/Sgt. Briles was largely responsible for causing heavy enemy casualties, forcing the surrender of 55 Germans, making possible the salvage of our vehicles, and saving the lives of wounded comrades.

ee also

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

References

*findagrave|7073072 Retrieved on 2008-02-25

*cite web
publisher = U.S. Army Center of Military History
title = Medal of Honor Recipients - World War II (A-F)
work = Medal of Honor Citations
date = July 16, 2007
url = http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/wwII-a-f.html
accessdate = 2008-02-25

Persondata
NAME= Briles, Herschel F.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION= United States Army Medal of Honor recipient
DATE OF BIRTH=
PLACE OF BIRTH=
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=