 Technician Fifth Grade Eric G. Gibson was born in Nysund, Sweden,
grew up in Chicago, and was a Quartermaster soldier serving as a company cook with the
30th Infantry Regiment in World War II. He participated in the Allied invasion of Sicily,
the Anzio Beach landing, and the subsequent drive up the Italian peninsula.
Medal of Honor Citation:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity
at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty.
On 28 January
1944, near Isola Bella, Italy, Tech. 5th Grade Gibson, company cook,
led a squad of replacements through their initial baptism of fire,
destroyed four enemy positions, killed 5 and captured 2 German soldiers,
and secured the left flank of his company during an attack on a
strongpoint. Placing himself 50 yards in front of his new men, Gibson
advanced down the wide stream ditch known as the Fossa Femminamorta,
keeping pace with the advance of his company.
An enemy soldier allowed
Tech. 5th Grade Gibson to come within 20 yards of his concealed
position and then opened fire on him with a machine pistol. Despite
the stream of automatic fire which barely missed him, Gibson charged
the position, firing his submachine gun every few steps. Reaching
the position, Gibson fired pointblank at his opponent, killing him.
An artillery concentration fell in and around the ditch; the concussion
from one shell knocked him flat. As he got to his feet Gibson was
fired on by two soldiers armed with a machine pistol and a rifle
from a position only 75 yards distant.
Gibson immediately raced
toward the foe. Halfway to the position a machinegun opened fire
on him. Bullets came within inches of his body, yet Gibson never
paused in his forward movement. He killed one and captured the other
soldier. Shortly after, when he was fired upon by a heavy machinegun
200 yards down the ditch, Gibson crawled back to his squad and ordered
it to lay down a base of fire while he flanked the emplacement.
Despite all warning, Gibson crawled 125 yards through an artillery
concentration and the cross fire of 2 machineguns which showered
dirt over his body, threw 2 hand grenades into the emplacement and
charged it with his submachine gun, killing 2 of the enemy and capturing
a third. Before leading his men around a bend in the stream ditch,
Gibson went forward alone to reconnoiter. Hearing an exchange of
machine pistol and submachine gun fire, Gibson's squad went forward
to find that its leader had run 35 yards toward an outpost, killed
the machine pistol man, and had himself been killed while firing
at the Germans.
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