I am trying to find out how 1st. Lt. Kandle earned his Silver Star two days before he was KIA on 31 Dec 44. His Son is looking for any information as to how he earned the Silver Star on December 29th at Bennwihr France. Of course the Army lost all his records in the ‘73 fire so they have been no help at all. Any info from either the German or American side on this date would be helpful.
Thanks in advance
Burt
Here is the text from the Silver Star certificate;
First Lieutenant (Infantry) Victor Leonard Kandle (ASN: 0-1324419), United States Army, was awarded the Silver Star for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving with Company I, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3d Infantry Division, on December 29, 1944 at Bennwihr, France.
Action Date: December 29, 1944
Service: Army
Rank: First Lieutenant
Company: Company I
Regiment: 15th Infantry Regiment
Division: 3d Infantry Division
Below are the actions that earned him the Medal of Honor 2 months prior.
On October 9th he earned the Medal of honor; The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pride in presenting the Medal of Honor (Posthumously) to First Lieutenant (Infantry) Victor Leonard Kandle (ASN: 0-1324419), United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with Company I, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3d Infantry Division. On 9 October 1944, at about noon, near La Forge, France, First Lieutenant Kandle, while leading a reconnaissance patrol into enemy territory, engaged in a duel at pointblank range with a German field officer and killed him. Having already taken five enemy prisoners that morning, he led a skeleton platoon of 16 men, reinforced with a light machinegun squad, through fog and over precipitous mountain terrain to fall on the rear of a German quarry stronghold which had checked the advance of an infantry battalion for two days. Rushing forward, several yards ahead of his assault elements, First Lieutenant Kandle fought his way into the heart of the enemy strongpoint, and, by his boldness and audacity, forced the Germans to surrender. Harassed by machinegun fire from a position which he had bypassed in the dense fog, he moved to within 15 yards of the enemy, killed a German machine gunner with accurate rifle fire and led his men in the destruction of another machinegun crew and its rifle security elements. Finally, he led his small force against a fortified house held by two German officers and 30 enlisted men. After establishing a base of fire, he rushed forward alone through an open clearing in full view of the enemy, smashed through a barricaded door, and forced all 32 Germans to surrender. His intrepidity and bold leadership resulted in the capture or killing of three enemy officers and 54 enlisted men, the destruction of three enemy strongpoints, and the seizure of enemy positions which had halted a battalion attack.
