WILLIAM A SODERMAN MEDAL OF HONOR GRAVE STONE

ON DECEMBER 17, 1944 PFC WILLIAM A. SODERMAN, OF WEST HAVEN, COMPANY K, 9TH INFANTRY, 2ND INFANTRY DIVISION ARMED WITH A BAZOOKA, DEFENDED A KEY ROAD JUNCTION NEAR ROCHERATH, BELGIUM. AS THE GERMAN ARTILLERY BARRAGE PINNED DOWN TROOPS AROUND HIM, SODERMAN FACED FIVE MARK V TANKS. HE STOOD UP COMPLETELY DISREGARDING THE FIRE THAT COULD BE BROUGHT TO BEAR ON HIM. HIS ROCKET DISMANTLED THE LEAD TANK. NEAR DAWN, FIVE MORE TANKS APPEARED. RUNNING ALONG A DITCH HE JUMPED TO THE ROAD IN FULL VIEW OF THE GUNNERS, DISABLED THE LEAD TANK WITH A ROCKET AND FORCED THE OTHERS TO WITHDRAW. HE THEN FIRED ANOTHER ROCKET THAT SILENCED THE MACHINE GUNS OF A NEARBY GERMAN INFANTRY PLATOON. THEN, AFTER COMPANY K WAS ORDERED TO FALL BACK UNDER MOUNTING ENEMY PRESSURE, MORE TANKS MOVED DOWN THE ROAD. FULLY EXPOSED, SODERMAN ONCE AGAIN DISABLED THE LEAD TANK WITH HIS LAST ROCKET. BEFORE HE COULD REACH COVER, MACHINEGUN BULLETS FROM THE TANK RIPPED INTO HIS RIGHT SHOULDER. UNARMED AND SERIOUSLY WOUNDED, HE DRAGGED HIMSELF ALONG A DITCH TO THE AMERICAN LINES. FOR HIS DISPLAY OF “INTREPIDITY AND HEROISM” PFC SODERMAN RECEIVED THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR AT THE WHITE HOUSE ON OCTOBER 12, 1945.