104th Division Awards
Company E, 413th Infantry Regiment, 104th Infantry Division
The President of the United States takes pleasure in awarding the Medal of Honor to First Lieutenant CECIL H. BOLTON, Infantry, United States Army, for service as set forth in the following citation:Lieutenant BOLTON, leader of the weapons platoon of Company F, 413th Infantry, on the night of 2 November 1944 fought gallantly in a pitched battle which followed the crossing of the Mark River in Holland. When two machine guns pinned down his company, he tried to eliminate, with mortar fire, their grazing fire which was inflicting serious casualties and preventing the company's advance from an area rocked by artillery shelling. In the moonlight it was impossible for him to locate accurately the enemy's camouflaged positions; but he continued to direct fire until wounded severely in the legs and rendered unconscious by a German shell. When he recovered consciousness, he instructed his unit and then crawled to the forward rifle platoon positions. Taking a two-man bazooka team on his voluntary mission, he advanced chest-deep in chilling water along a canal toward one enemy machine gun. While the bazooka team covered him, he approached alone to within fifteen yards of the hostile emplacement in a house. He charged the remaining distance and killed the two gunners with hand grenades. Returning to his men, he led them through intense fire over open ground to assault the second German machine gun. An enemy sniper who tried to block the way was dispatched, and the trio moved on. When discovered by the machine gun crew and subjected to direct fire, Lieutenant BOLTON killed one of the three gunners with carbine fire, and his two comrades shot the others. Continuing to disregard his wounds he lead the bazooka team toward an 88 millimeter artillery piece which was having telling effect on the American ranks, approaching once more through icy canal water until he could dimly make out the gun's silhouette. Under his fire direction, the two soldiers knocked out the enemy weapon with rockets. On the way back to his own lines he was again wounded. To prevent his men's being longer subjected to deadly fire, he refused aid and ordered them back to safety, painfully crawling after them until he reached his lines, where he collapsed. Lieutenant Bolton's heroic assaults in the face of vicious fire, his inspiring leadership and continued aggressiveness even though suffering from serious wounds, contributed in large measure to overcoming strong enemy resistance and made it possible for his battalion to reach its objective.
Harry S. Truman, President
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Company G, 413th Infantry Regiment, 104th Infantry Division
Citation: For extraordinary heroism in action on 7 April 1945 near Lippoldsberg, Germany. As lead scout during a maneuver to secure and expand a vital bridgehead, Private First Class James was the first to draw enemy fire. He was pinned down for over an hour, during which time he observed enemy positions in detail. Returning to his platoon, he assisted in working out a new plan of maneuver. He then led a squad in the assault, accurately designating targets as he advanced, until he was killed by enemy machine gun fire while going to the aid of his fatally wounded platoon leader. Private First Class James' fearless, self-assigned actions, coupled with his diligent devotion to duty exemplified the finest traditions of the Armed Forces.William Jefferson Clinton, President
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