Major Freeman Victor Horner 13021793
Major Freeman Victor Horner 13021793 US Army MOH. He was born June 7, 1922, in Mount Carmel Pennsylvania. He was marred to Betty Horner of Route 1 Box 168 Shemokin at the time of his action that earned him the Medal of Honor he had a 2 year old son named Daniel Victor Horner. Freeman Victor Horner entered the Army in Shamokin, Pennsylvania on January 4, 1941, at the age 18. When serving as a PVT. in Company K, 119th Infantry Regiment, 30th Infantry Division on November 16, 1944, at the age of 22, he earned the Medal of Honor.
On November 16, 1944 near Würselen, Germany Sergeant Horner had machinegun fire from houses on the edge of the town pinned the attackers in flat, open terrain 100 yards from their objective. As they lay in the field, enemy artillery observers directed fire upon them, causing serious casualties. Realizing that the machineguns must be eliminated in order to permit the company to advance from its precarious position, S/Sgt. Horner voluntarily stood up with his submachine gun and rushed into the teeth of concentrated fire, burdened by a heavy load of ammunition and hand grenades. Just as he reached a position of seeming safety, he was fired on by a machine gun which had remained silent up until that time. He coolly wheeled in his fully exposed position while bullets barely missed him and killed 2 hostile gunners with a single, devastating burst. He turned to face the fire of the other 2 machine guns, and dodging fire as he ran, charged the 2 positions 50 yards away. Demoralized by their inability to hit the intrepid infantryman, the enemy abandoned their guns and took cover in the cellar of the house they occupied. PVT. Horner burst into the building, hurled 2 grenades down the cellar stairs, and called for the Germans to surrender. Four men gave up to him. By his extraordinary courage, PVT. Horner destroyed 3 enemy machine gun positions, killed or captured 7 enemy, and cleared the path for his company’s successful assault on Wurselen.
Major Freeman Victor Horner Served in the Korean War as well. He was Awarded the Combat Infantry Badge, the Medal of Honor, the Bronze Star Medal with V and Oak Leaf cluster, the Purple Heart Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, American Defense Medal, The American Theater of operations, the European Theater of Operations Medal ETO with 1 battle star, and the Army of Occupation Medal. He died on December 1, 2005, at the age of 83.
U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
Medal of Honor Citation
U.S., War Department, Press Releases and Related Records, 1942-1945