Rank at time of receipt: Staff Sergeant,
U.S. Army
Unit: Company I, 160th Infantry Regiment,
40th Infantry Division
Place and date: Near San Jose Hacienda,
Negros, Philippine Islands, 23 May 1945
Entered service at: Rockford, Michigan
Born: Rockford, Michigan
Medal credited to: Michigan
Authority: War Department General Order
97, 1 November 1945
Citation
He led an attack against a high precipitous
ridge defended by a company of enemy riflemen, who were entrenched
in spider holes and supported by well-sealed pillboxes housing
automatic weapons with interlocking bands of fire. The terrain
was such that only 1 squad could advance at one time; and from
a knoll atop a ridge a pillbox covered the only approach with
automatic fire. Against this enemy stronghold, S/Sgt. Sjogren
led the first squad to open the assault. Deploying his men, he
moved forward and was hurling grenades when he saw that his next
in command, at the opposite flank, was gravely wounded. Without
hesitation he crossed 20 yards of exposed terrain in the face
of enemy fire and exploding dynamite charges, moved the man to
cover and administered first aid. He then worked his way forward
and, advancing directly into the enemy fire, killed 8 Japanese
in spider holes guarding the approach to the pillbox. Crawling
to within a few feet of the pillbox while his men concentrated
their bullets on the fire port, he began dropping grenades through
the narrow firing slit. The enemy immediately threw 2 or 3 of
these unexploded grenades out, and fragments from one wounded
him in the hand and back. However, by hurling grenades through
the embrasure faster then the enemy could return them, he succeeded
in destroying the occupants. Despite his wounds, he directed
his squad to follow him in a systematic attack on the remaining
positions, which he eliminated in like manner, taking tremendous
risks, overcoming bitter resistance, and never hesitating in
his relentless advance. To silence one of the pillboxes, he wrenched
a light machinegun out through the embrasure as it was firing
before blowing up the occupants with handgrenades. During this
action, S/Sgt. Sjogren, by his heroic bravery, aggressiveness,
and skill as a soldier, single-handedly killed 43 enemy soldiers
and destroyed 9 pillboxes, thereby paving the way for his company's
successful advance.
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