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Alan Louis Eggers

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Alan L. Eggers
Medal of Honor recipient
Born(1895-11-02)November 2, 1895
Saranac Lake, New York
DiedOctober 3, 1968(1968-10-03) (aged 72)
Place of burial
Arlington National Cemetery
AllegianceUnited States of America
Service / branchUnited States Army
RankSergeant
UnitMachine Gun Company, 107th Infantry, 27th Division
AwardsMedal of Honor
Purple Heart

Alan Louis Eggers (November 2, 1895 – October 3, 1968) was a sergeant in the United States Army during World War I. He received the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions in combat near Le Catelet, France, on September 29, 1918, together with John C. Latham and Thomas E. O'Shea. Eggers was a student at Cornell University before departing for service. He was awarded the degree of "War Alumnus" in 1921.

He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington, Virginia.[1]

Medal of Honor citation

Headstone of Alan Eggers at Arlington National Cemetery.

Citation:

Becoming separated from their platoon by a smoke barrage, Sergeant Eggers, Sergeant John C. Latham and Corporal Thomas E. O'Shea took cover in a shell hole well within the enemy's lines. Upon hearing a call for help from an American tank, which had become disabled 30 yards from them, the three soldiers left their shelter and started toward the tank, under heavy fire from German machineguns and trench mortars. In crossing the fire-swept area Corporal O'Shea was mortally wounded, but his companions, undeterred, proceeded to the tank, rescued a wounded officer, and assisted two wounded soldiers to cover in a sap of a nearby trench. Sergeant Eggers and Sergeant Latham then returned to the tank in the face of the violent fire, dismounted a Hotchkiss gun, and took it back to where the wounded men were, keeping off the enemy all day by effective use of the gun and later bringing it, with the wounded men, back to our lines under cover of darkness.[2]

Military awards

Eggers' military decorations and awards include:

Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
1st row Medal of Honor Purple Heart World War I Victory Medal w/three bronze service stars to denote credit for the Somme Offensive, Ypres-Lys and Defensive Sector battle clasps.
2nd row Distinguished Conduct Medal (Great Britain) Médaille militaire (French Republic) Croix de guerre 1914–1918 w/bronze palm (French Republic)
3rd row Croce al Merito di Guerra (Italy) Medal for Military Bravery (Kingdom of Montenegro) Medalha da Cruz de Guerra, Third Class (Portuguese Republic)

[3][4][5]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Burial Detail: Eggers, Alan L. (Section 2, Grave 3387-A)". ANC Explorer. Arlington National Cemetery. (Official website).
  2. ^ "'Alan Louis Eggers' entry". Medal of Honor recipients: World War I. United States Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. Archived from the original on 18 October 2008. Retrieved October 18, 2008.
  3. ^ History of the 107th Infantry U.S.A. compiled by Gerald F. Jacobson=1920 (PDF). Seventh Regiment Armory, New York City. pp. 155–157, 163, 519. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
  4. ^ The Story of the 27th Division by John F. O'Ryan, Appendix C=1921 (PDF). Wynkoop Hallenbeck Crawford Co.,New York. p. 924. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
  5. ^ James Hopper; John Alan Maxwell, illustrations (1929). Medals of Honor. New York: The John Day Company. pp. 96, 110. OCLC 575054. OCLC 612515919
Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Army Center of Military History.
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