Info/Pictures received from; Monty McDaniel

Born: 12 August 1919     Place: Albany, NY

Died:  8 April 1945    Place: Polle, Germany

Date of Temporary Burial: 18 April 1945   at: American Military Cemetery Margraten, The Netherlands

Location: Plot: FF  Row: 10  Grave: 238

Date of final Burial: 3 December 1948  at: Bellevue Cemetery, Adams, MA

Father: Charles W. Gebauer   Mother: Martha Gebauer (Schwarzer)

Last known address: 11 Pearl Street, Adams, MA

Siblings: Raymond, Elwin, Priscilla (Zuber) and Dorothy (Hamelin)

Awards

Purple Heart   -  Silver Star Medal

Citation accompanied the Silver Medal reads as follows:

I have the Honor to inform you that by direction of the President the Silver Star has been posthumously awarded to your son Charles H. Gebauer, Armored Field Artillery. The citation is as follows:

Silver Star. For gallantry in action on March 1. 1945 in Germany. Corp. Gebauer was a member of the crew of a towed tank destroyer gun that had entered the town of Hemmerden with some lightly armored vehicles for the purpose to occupying it. When the enemy suddenly attacked with five tanks. He coolly assisted in placing the gun in the center of the principal street 100 yards from a curve from wich direction the enemy tanks were expected to approach. With complete disregard for his own safety, although the adjoining buildings vere subjected to intense machine gun high velocity fire and an enemy plane strafed the road they were on, he courageously held his position. When an enemy tank appeared at the bend Corp. Gebauer assisted in firing five rounds into it, disabling it on the spot. Through his determined devotion to duty the defences of this town were saved and the enemy attack repulsed. The aggressive initiative and courageous fighting spirit of this non-commissioned officerrefelect the highest credit upon himself and exemplify the finest traditions of the armed forces of the United States.

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