[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 69 (Thursday, May 16, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5193-S5194]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 59--RELATIVE TO A MEDAL OF HONOR

  Mr. SANTORUM (for himself, Mr. Specter, Mr. Dole, Mr. Craig, Mr. 
Helms, and Mr. Thurmond) submitted the following concurrent resolution; 
which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services:

                            S. Con. Res. 59

       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring),
       Whereas Wayne T. Alderson served as a private first class 
     in the United States Army in Germany during World War II;
       Whereas, during the Rhineland Campaign of such war, which 
     was 4 days of close, fierce combat from March 15 to March 18, 
     1945, Private First Class Alderson singlehandedly killed 43 
     enemy soldiers;
       Whereas, according to The History of the Third Infantry 
     Division, Private First Class Alderson was the 1st soldier 
     from the United States to cross into Germany on March 15, 
     1945;

[[Page S5194]]

       Whereas, on March 15, 1945, Company B of the 7th Infantry 
     Regiment, led by Private First Class Alderson, crossed into 
     Germany 1 mile south of Utweiler to surprise the enemy troops 
     and advanced through heavy, armed resistance, machine gun 
     crossfire, and a German mine field;
       Whereas, during such advancement, Private First Class 
     Alderson spotted and bypassed a German bunker and machine gun 
     nest and entered into a close fire fight, killing 6 enemy 
     soldiers;
       Whereas, when a 2d enemy machine gun impeded such 
     advancement, Private First Class Alderson volunteered to 
     advance alone, forged a stream, and waged a singlehanded 
     assault on the German machine gun crew, killing all 5 of the 
     crew as Second Lieutenant Barbour and Private First Class 
     Preston, along with the other soldiers of Company B, arrived 
     to force the German enemy soldiers to withdraw;
       Whereas, Company B continued to advance toward the town of 
     Erching, where Private First Class Alderson killed 2 enemy 
     snipers who were impeding the advance, and the town was 
     captured as the enemy troops retreated;
       Whereas, Second Lieutenant Barbour and Lieutenant Colonel 
     Wallace stated that they intended to recommend Private First 
     Class Alderson for high military decoration;
       Whereas, on March 16 and 17, 1945, as Company B continued 
     to attack and advance toward the Siegfried Line, Private 
     First Class Alderson killed 4 enemy soldiers in close house-
     to-house fighting, captured 3 German prisoners, and led the 
     prisoners, at great risk to himself, past enemy positions to 
     the headquarters of Company B, where vital information 
     concerning the defenses of the Siegfried Line was obtained 
     from the prisoners;
       Whereas, on March 18, 1945, Private First Class Alderson 
     led Company B into its 4th consecutive day of battle at the 
     Siegfried Line but then was cut off from the company;
       Whereas, after Private First Class Alderson was cut off 
     from Company B, he was unable to find safe cover and charged 
     forward, killing 6 enemy soldiers in a close fire fight, then 
     attacked the main entrance of a German trench, killing 4 
     enemy defenders before capturing the front end of the 
     trench;
       Whereas, when the remnant of Company B, which was in the 
     front portion of the trench under the command of Captain 
     James Rich and without radio contact, was about to be overrun 
     by a German counterattack, Private First Class Alderson again 
     volunteered to be first scout;
       Whereas Private First Class Alderson immediately killed 4 
     advancing enemy soldiers in bitter combat as he moved down 
     the trench and engaged a large German force that was 
     advancing in an adjoining and interlocking trench;
       Whereas Private First Class Alderson, who was fully exposed 
     and vastly outnumbered, charged the enemy forces and entered 
     into a fierce fire fight with them at close range, killing 12 
     enemy soldiers as the German counterattack was repelled and 
     the enemy forces withdrew;
       Whereas, in such action, Private First Class Alderson 
     received a serious head wound from shrapnel when a Germany 
     grenade landed at his feet and exploded in his face;
       Whereas the life of Private First Class Alderson was saved 
     by the valorous action of Private First Class Preston, who 
     covered the body of Private First Class Alderson with his own 
     body and was fatally wounded in the head by the bullet of a 
     sniper;
       Whereas Private First Class Alderson, while he fought to 
     remain conscious, crawled back along the trench to brief 
     Captain Rich on the events that had occurred in the other end 
     of the trench;
       Whereas Captain Rich stated his intention to recommend to 
     Colonel Heintges, the commander of the 7th Infantry Regiment, 
     that Private First Class Alderson receive a medal of honor;
       Whereas such recommendation has been verified by 
     independent affidavit; and
       Whereas Private First Class Alderson has been waiting for 
     more than 47 years to receive the medal of honor for which he 
     was recommended and which he so richly deserves: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that the 
     President should award a medal of honor to Wayne T. Alderson 
     in recognition of acts performed at the risk of his life and 
     beyond the call of duty while serving as a private first 
     class in the United States Army in Germany during World War 
     II.

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