The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Staff Sergeant George John Hall, United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty on 23 May 1944, while serving with Company B, 135th Infantry Regiment, 34th Infantry Division, in action at Anzio, Italy. Attacking across flat, open terrain under direct enemy observation, Staff Sergeant Hall’s company was pinned down by grazing fire from three enemy machineguns and harassing sniper fire. Staff Sergeant Hall volunteered to eliminate these obstacles in the path of advance. Crawling along a plowed furrow through furious machinegun fire, he made his way to a point within hand grenade range of one of the enemy positions. He pounded the enemy with four hand grenades, and when the smoke had died away, Staff Sergeant Hall and two dead Germans occupied the position, while four of the enemy were crawling back to our lines as prisoners. Discovering a quantity of German potato-masher grenades in the position, Staff Sergeant Hall engaged the second enemy nest in a deadly exchange of grenades. Each time he exposed himself to throw a grenade the Germans fired machinegun bursts at him. The vicious duel finally ended in Staff Sergeant Hall’s favor with five of the enemy surrendered and five others lay dead. Turning his attention to the third machinegun, Staff Sergeant Hall left his position and crawled along a furrow, the enemy firing frantically in an effort to halt him. As he neared his final objective, an enemy artillery concentration fell on the area, and Staff Sergeant Hall’s right leg was severed by a shellburst. With two enemy machineguns eliminated, his company was able to flank the third and continue its advance without incurring excessive casualties. Staff Sergeant Hall’s fearlessness, his determined fighting spirit, and his prodigious combat skill exemplify the heroic tradition of the American Infantryman.