The
President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, March
3, 1863, has awarded in the name of The Congress the Medal of Honor to
Captain
UNITED STATES ARMY
*BURT, JAMES M.
Rank and organization: Captain, U.S. Army, Company B, 66th Armored Regiment, 2d
Armored Division. Place and date: Near Wurselen, Germany, 13 October 1944.
Entered service at: Lee, Mass. Birth: Hinsdale, Mass. G.O. No.: 95, 30 October
1945. Citation: Capt. James M. Burt was in command of Company B, 66th Armored
Regiment on the western outskirts of Wurselen, Germany, on 13 October 1944, when
his organization participated in a coordinated infantry-tank attack destined to
isolate the large German garrison which was tenaciously defending the city of
Aachen. In the first day's action, when infantrymen ran into murderous
small-arms and mortar fire, Capt. Burt dismounted from his tank about 200 yards
to the rear and moved forward on foot beyond the infantry positions, where, as
the enemy concentrated a tremendous volume of fire upon him, he calmly motioned
his tanks into good firing positions. As our attack gained momentum, he climbed
aboard his tank and directed the action from the rear deck, exposed to hostile
volleys which finally wounded him painfully in the face and neck. He maintained
his dangerous post despite pointblank self-propelled gunfire until friendly
artillery knocked out these enemy weapons, and then proceeded to the advanced
infantry scouts' positions to deploy his tanks for the defense of the gains
which had been made. The next day, when the enemy counterattacked, he left cover
and went 75 yards through heavy fire to assist the infantry battalion commander
who was seriously wounded. For the next 8 days, through rainy, miserable weather
and under constant, heavy shelling, Capt. Burt held the combined forces
together, dominating and controlling the critical situation through the sheer
force of his heroic example. To direct artillery fire, on 15 October, he took
his tank 300 yards into the enemy lines, where he dismounted and remained for 1
hour giving accurate data to friendly gunners. Twice more that day he went into
enemy territory under deadly fire on reconnaissance. In succeeding days he never
faltered in his determination to defeat the strong German forces opposing him.
Twice the tank in which he was riding was knocked out by enemy action, and each
time he climbed aboard another vehicle and continued the fight. He took great
risks to rescue wounded comrades and inflicted prodigious destruction on enemy
personnel and materiel even though suffering from the wounds he received in the
battle's opening phase. Capt. Burt's intrepidity and disregard of personal
safety were so complete that his own men and the infantry who attached
themselves to him were inspired to overcome the wretched and extremely hazardous
conditions which accompanied one of the most bitter local actions of the war.
The victory achieved closed the Aachen gap.
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