The conquest of Leyte in the fall of 1944 was taking longer
than expected since the Japanese had decided to make it the decisive
battleground of the Philippines. This forced the Sixth Army to commit the 32nd
Infantry Division along with several other combat elements. As part of the X
Corps, the 32nd would drive south along Highway 2 with the 1st
Cavalry Division on its left.
By December 14, the 32nd Division had advanced
more than two miles south of Limon, reaching the main Japanese Defensive line.
It had been a slow march for the 126th Infantry:
Every bend of the road
was lined with . . . foxholes dug into the banks of the road and spider holes
dug underneath the roots of trees and under logs on the hillsides. It was
bitter, close hand to hand fighting and because of the steepness of the
terrain, the denseness of the tree growth, the inaccuracy of maps and nearness
of adjoining units, artillery and mortar fire could not be used to is full
advantage in reducing these positions. (32nd Div Opns Rpt Leyte)
The Japanese were well
entrenched on a series of ridges overlooking Highway 2. A heavy rain forest
covered the ridges and the deep ravines in between. Targets could not be
spotted beyond a range of about 75 feet. The troops had to “approach within
spitting distance of the [enemy] guns” before they could locate the weapons.
(32nd Div G-3 Periodic Report 30)
On December 15, the 32nd Division’s regiments
were fighting valiantly in the effort to seize the Ormoc Valley, when two
soldiers from the 126th Infantry Regiment exhibited outstanding acts
of individual bravery.
Sergeant Leroy
Johnson
Leroy Johnson entered the Army on November 26, 1941 from his
home in Oakdale, Louisiana, where he had been employed as a carpenter. One of
nine children, he was born to Leander and Isaline Marcantel Johnson on December
6, 1919 at Caney Creek, Louisiana. It’s likely that Johnson ended up with the
126th Infantry, 32nd Infantry Division due to the
Louisiana Maneuvers that were underway at that time.
With the 126th Infantry from its start in the New
Guinea campaign, Sgt. Johnson was awarded the Silver Star for “for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in
connection with military operations” against entrenched Japanese near
Sanananda, New Guinea on December 22, 1942, while serving with Company K.
On December 15, 1944, Sgt. Johnson was on a lone scouting
mission into Japanese-held territory in the Leyte Province. When he located an
enemy machine gun, he reported the position to his company commander, who in
turn gave Johnson the mission of destroying it. He selected three men for this
purpose and led the patrol to within six yards of the Japanese position. They
tossed several grenades and knocked the gun out. Enemy soldiers in flanking
foxholes tossed grenades at Johnson. As he was starting to take cover, he
spotted two of the grenades near the men of his patrol. Before they could
explode, he threw himself across them and took the full force. Although fatally
wounded, he managed to withdraw several yards to a point where his company
commander and others had been pushing up to assist.
The full citation of his award reads as follows:
The President of the
United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pride in presenting
the Medal of Honor (Posthumously) to Sergeant Leroy Johnson (ASN: 34154178),
United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action above
and beyond the call of duty on 15 December 1944, while serving with Company K,
126th Infantry Regiment, 32d Infantry Division, in action at Limon, Leyte,
Philippine Islands. Sergeant Johnson was squad leader of a nine-man patrol sent
to reconnoiter a ridge held by a well-entrenched enemy force. Seeing an enemy
machine gun position, he ordered his men to remain behind while he crawled to
within six yards of the gun. One of the enemy crew jumped up and prepared to
man the weapon. Quickly withdrawing, Sergeant Johnson rejoined his patrol and
reported the situation to his commanding officer. Ordered to destroy the gun,
which covered the approaches to several other enemy positions, he chose three
other men, armed them with hand grenades, and led them to a point near the
objective. After taking partial cover behind a log, the men had knocked out the
gun and begun an assault when hostile troops on the tank hurled several
grenades. As he started for cover, Sergeant Johnson saw two unexploded grenades
which had fallen near his men. Knowing that his comrades would be wounded or
killed by the explosion, he deliberately threw himself on the grenades and
received their full charge in his body. Fatally wounded by the blast, he died
soon afterward. Through his outstanding gallantry in sacrificing his life for
his comrades, Sergeant Johnson provided a shining example of the highest
traditions of the U.S. Army.
Sgt. Johnson died from multiple fragmentary wounds soon
afterward. He was buried in theManila American Cemetery and Memorial, National
Capitol Region, Philippines.
On October 28, 1945, Johnson’s father received the Medal of
Honor on behalf of his son from Colonel John H. Curruth, then commander of Camp
Claiborne, Louisiana. The New Orleans army base on the south shore of Lake Pontchartrain
was renamed in Sgt. Johnson’s honor on November 25, 1947, but was later closed.
An Army Reserve Center was built on part of the old camp on Leroy Johnson
Drive. A bronze memorial plaque from the old camp was moved to the Oberlin
courthouse. In 1965, a cast aluminum plaque was erected in the center of
Oakdale to honor him.
Johnson also received the Purple Heart with Oak Leaf
Cluster (second award).
Pfc. Dirk Vlug
Dirkjan (Dirk) Cornelius Vlug was born on August 20, 1916 in
Maple Lake, Wright County, Minnesota, to Isaac and Wilhelmina (Dekker) Vlug. He
was one of six children. He joined siblings Peter (born 1909), Alida (born 1912) and Wesselina (born 1914). Farmers in Minnesota, the Vlugs had two more children after Dirk, Gertrude born in 1918 and Marian born in 1922. When Dirk was six years old the family moved to Michigan. By 1930 Isaac Vlug had settled the family on the west side of Grand Rapids taking up carpentry as a trade to support his family.
He joined the Army in April 1941 and was sent south to be a part of the 126th Infantry Regiment, 32nd Infantry Division. On December 15, 1944, Vlug had been tasked with defending the roadblock on the Ormoc Road. When it was attacked by a group of enemy tanks, he left his covered position, and with a rocket launcher and six rounds of ammunition, advanced alone under intense machine gun and 37-mm fire. The following citation describes the action and results in detail:
The President of the
United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting
the Medal of Honor to Private First Class Dirk John Vlug (ASN: 36155103),
United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond
the call of duty while serving with Headquarters, 1st Battalion, 126th Infantry
Regiment, 32d Infantry Division, in action on 15 December 1944, at Limon,
Leyte, Philippine Islands. When an American roadblock on the Ormoc Road was attacked
by a group of enemy tanks, Private First Class Vlug left his covered position,
and with a rocket launcher and six rounds of ammunition, advanced alone under
intense machine gun and 37-mm fire. Loading single-handedly, he destroyed the first
tank, killing its occupants with a single round. As the crew of the second tank
started to dismount and attack him, he killed one of the foe with his pistol,
forcing the survivors to return to their vehicle, which he then destroyed with
a second round. Three more hostile tanks moved up the road, so he flanked the first
and eliminated it, and then, despite a hail of enemy fire, pressed forward
again to destroy another. With his last round of ammunition he struck the
remaining vehicle, causing it to crash down a steep embankment. Through his
sustained heroism in the face of superior forces, Private First Class Vlug
alone destroyed five enemy tanks and greatly facilitated successful accomplishment
of his battalion's mission. |
| Personal photo taken by Dirk Vlug of destroyed Japanese tanks |
The folks back home in Grand Rapids first received news of Vlug’s heroic actions in a Grand Rapids Press article on January 9, 1945. Following his discharge from the service on June 14, he returned home to his parents.
For his actions, Vlug, a veteran of the Buna, Saidor, Aitape and Morotai campaigns prior to Leyte, was issued the Medal of Honor by President Harry S Truman a year and a half later on June 7, 1946. Vlug had been back at work at the American Seating Company in Grand Rapids when he learned he would receive the award in Washington, DC. His family accompanied him to the White House and when he returned home, the entire city celebrated his accomplishment, setting up a fund which he and his soon-to-be wife used to purchase a home. On August 16, 1946, Vlug married Angie Sikkema in McBain, Missaukee County, Michigan. Together they raised three daughters: Carol, Margie and Meribeth.
 |
| Dirk Vlug and his wife returning home from the White House |
He subsequently left the army and joined the Michigan National
Guard in May 1949 along with two other area Medal of Honor
recipients: 1LT John C. Sjogren and 2LT Francis J. Pierce. Vlug was sworn in
with the rank of Master Sergeant and took great pride for the next couple of
years serving as color sergeant for the regiment. He retired from military service in January 1951.
In 1950, Vlug became a postal carrier in Grand Rapids retiring his position in 1976.
Years later, while being interviewed about his experience and
having earned the nation’s highest military award, Vlug responded, “I was no different than any other soldier.
I saw a chance and took it. I guess, though, that you have to be a keyed-up
sort of guy to do what I did. You can’t just sit back and let things happen.”
Other honors afforded Vlug included designating the drill
hall at the Grand Valley Armory in Wyoming, Michigan after him and an honorary
street designation adjacent to the Grand Rapids Veterans Memorial Park. “Dirk
Vlug Way” was unveiled on Veterans Day 1999. He also received Michigan’s top
military award -- the Distinguished Service Medal -- in 1992. In 1994, he
returned to the Philippines to participate in the 50th commemoration
of the island’s recapture from the Japanese.
Vlug was active in local veterans organizations including
the 32nd “Red Arrow” Club and 126th Infantry Association.
He died suddenly on June 24, 1996 and was buried with full honors in Greenwood
Cemetery. Remembered by his friends as an intensely humble man who rarely spoke of his heroics, his wife was quoted as saying “A lot of other people flaunt it, and he was very upset about other Medal of Honor Winners who flaunted it. He just wasn’t that way.”
