| Alan L. Eggers | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 2, 1895 |
| Died | October 3, 1968 (aged 72) |
| Place of birth | Saranac Lake, New York |
| Place of burial | Arlington National Cemetery |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Army |
| Rank | sergeant |
| Unit | Machine Gun Company, 107th Infantry, 27th Division |
| Awards | Medal of Honor |
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.
Medal of Honor citation[]
Headstone of Alan Eggers at Arlington National Cemetery.
Arlington National Cemetery portrait of Sgt. Alan Eggers
- Rank and organization: Sergeant, United States Army, Machine Gun Company, 107th Infantry, 27th Division.
- Place and date: Near Le Catelet, France, September 29, 1918.
- Entered service at: Summit, New Jersey.
- Birth: Saranac Lake, New York.
- General Orders No.20. War Department, 1919.
Citation:
Becoming separated from their platoon by a smoke barrage, Sgt. Eggers, Sgt. John C. Latham and Cpl. 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 3 soldiers left their shelter and started toward the tank, under heavy fire from German machine-guns and trench mortars. In crossing the fire-swept area Cpl. O'Shea was mortally wounded, but his companions, undeterred, proceeded to the tank, rescued a wounded officer, and assisted 2 wounded soldiers to cover in a sap of a nearby trench. Sgt. Eggers and Sgt. 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.[1]
See also[]
- List of Medal of Honor recipients for World War I
- Thomas E. O'Shea
- John Cridland Latham
- Hopper, James Marie, "Medals of Honor", with illustrations by John Alan Maxwell. New York, The John Day company [© Oct. 10,1929]
References[]
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Army Center of Military History.
- ↑ *""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. http://web.archive.org/web/20081018140904/http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/worldwari.html. Retrieved October 18, 2008.
External links[]
- "Alan Louis Eggers". Claim to Fame: Medal of Honor recipients. Find a Grave. http://www.findagrave.com/memorial/11163. Retrieved 2008-10-18.
The original article can be found at Alan Louis Eggers and the edit history here.