Forrest Everhart earned the Medal of Honor after being activated from the Ohio National Guard.
–
Cemetery:
Forrest Everhart earned the Medal of Honor after being activated from the Ohio National Guard.
Service:
Rank:
Regiment:
Division:
Action Date:
The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Technical Sergeant Forrest Eugene Everhart, Sr., United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action above and beyond the call of duty while serving with Company H, 359th Infantry Regiment, 90th Infantry Division. Technical Sergeant Everhart commanded a platoon that bore the brunt of a desperate enemy counterattack near Kerling, France, before dawn on 12 November 1944. When German tanks and self-propelled guns penetrated his left flank and overwhelming infantry forces threatened to overrun the one remaining machinegun in that section, he ran 400 yards through woods churned by artillery and mortar concentrations to strengthen the defense. With the one remaining gunner, he directed furious fire into the advancing hordes until they swarmed close to the position. He left the gun, boldly charged the attackers and, after a 15-minute exchange of hand grenades, forced them to withdraw leaving 30 dead behind. He re-crossed the fire-swept terrain to his then threatened right flank, exhorted his men and directed murderous fire from the single machinegun at that position. There, in the light of bursting mortar shells, he again closed with the enemy in a hand grenade duel and, after a fierce 30-minute battle, forced the Germans to withdraw leaving another 20 dead. The gallantry and intrepidity of Technical Sergeant Everhart in rallying his men and refusing to fall back in the face of terrible odds were highly instrumental in repelling the fanatical enemy counterattack directed at the American bridgehead across the Moselle River.