Distinguished Service Cross (DSC), 351st Infantry Regiment
WALTER C. ELLSWORTH, (33765151), Private First Class, Infantry, United States Army.
For extraordinary heroism in action on 12 October 1944, near Gesso, Italy. Private Frist Class ELLSWORTH served as a member of a patrol with the task of clearing German machine gunners from a house on his company's right flank. Completely ignoring enemy machine gun bullets and hand grenades which were striking the ground and exploding all around them, Private First Class ELLSWORTH and five other riflemen charged the building with fixed bayonets. Private First Class ELLSWORTH , several yards ahead of his comrades, rushed through a door and cleared the ground floor of the house. As he climbed the steps to the second floor, a German soldier fired a machine gun at him seriously wounding him in the side. refusing to take cover or wait for his comrades, Private First Class ELLSWORTH boldly fired his rifle from the hip, killing the German instantly. He continued alone to the third floor of the building. From a window, Private First Class ELLSWORTH saw one of the German machine guns near a stone shed, and opened fire with his rifle and killed the three-man crew. Greatly weakened by his wounds, he collapsed from sheer exhaustion. A few minutes later, aroused by fierce enemy machine gun fire he dragged himself to a window and saw another machine gun located in a nearby house firing directly into the path of the approaching Americans. Private First Class ELLSWORTH seized a German hand grenade, pulled the fuse cord and hurled it directly into the German-held house. The explosion of his grenade in their midst completely demoralized the Germans, who fled from the house in confusion. With his last ounce of strength he placed his rifle on the window sill and killed seven Germans as they crossed an open courtyard. Private First Class ELLSWORTH's unflinching courage was an inspiration to his fellow soldiers. Entered military service from Johnstown, Pennsylvania.
Citation and link provided courtesy of the Ellsworth family.
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