Harry R. Harr

Harry R. Harr
Harr in the US Army
Born	(1921-02-22)February 22, 1921 Pinecroft, Pennsylvania, US
Died	June 5, 1945(1945-06-05) (aged 24) near Maglamin, Mindanao, the Philippines
Place of burial	Alto Reste Burial Park, Altoona, Pennsylvania
Allegiance	United States of America
Service / branch	United States Army
Years of service	1942 - 1945
Rank	Corporal
Service number	33256924 [1]
Unit	124th Infantry Regiment, 31st Infantry Division
Battles / wars	World War II
Awards	Medal of Honor

Harry R. Harr (February 22, 1921 – June 5, 1945) was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II.

Biography

Harr joined the Army from East Freedom, Pennsylvania in November 1942,[2] and by June 5, 1945, was a corporal in Company D, 124th Infantry Regiment, 31st Infantry Division. On that day, near Maglamin, Mindanao, the Philippines, he smothered the blast of a Japanese-thrown hand grenade with his body, sacrificing himself to protect those around him. For this action, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on March 28, 1946.

Harr, age 24 at his death, was buried in Alto Reste Burial Park, Altoona, Pennsylvania.

The CPL Harry R. Harr US Army Reserve Center in Altoona, PA is named in his honor.[3]

Medal of Honor citation

Corporal Harr's official Medal of Honor citation reads:

He displayed conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity. In a fierce counterattack, the Japanese closed in on his machinegun emplacement, hurling hand grenades, 1 of which exploded under the gun, putting it out of action and wounding 2 of the crew. While the remaining gunners were desperately attempting to repair their weapon another grenade landed squarely in the emplacement. Quickly realizing he could not safely throw the unexploded missile from the crowded position, Cpl. Harr unhesitatingly covered it with his body to smother the blast. His supremely courageous act, which cost him his life, saved 4 of his comrades and enabled them to continue their mission.

See also

• List of Medal of Honor recipients
• List of Medal of Honor recipients for World War II
• 124th Infantry Regiment (United States)

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Army Center of Military History.

1. WWII Army Enlistment Records
2. WWII Army Enlistment Records
3. "Harr, Sitman served with honor". altoonamirror.com. Retrieved 2024-09-13.

• "Medal of Honor recipients - World War II (G–L)". Medal of Honor citations. United States Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-08-05. Retrieved 2008-01-31.