He Called Artillery On Himself To Stop 600 Germans

In January 1945, near the French village of Houssen, First Lieutenant Garlin Murl Conner made a decision few soldiers would ever consider: as German infantry closed in around him, he called American artillery down on his own position. This World War II documentary follows Conner's stand during the fighting around the Colmar Pocket in Alsace. On the morning of January 24, 1945, German forces counterattacked the 7th Infantry Regiment of the 3rd Infantry Division with around 600 infantry, supported by tanks and tank destroyers. Conner was a battalion intelligence officer, still recovering from a wound, and had every reason to stay behind. Instead, he volunteered to go forward, unrolling telephone wire under fire until he reached a shallow ditch in front of the American line. For three hours, he directed artillery from that ditch while the German assault came closer, at one point to within a few yards of him. Then, with the enemy massing for a final push, he gave the order that defines his story. Conner survived. He received the Distinguished Service Cross, went home to Kentucky, and rarely spoke about the war. It took decades of effort by his family and supporters before his actions were recognized with the Medal of Honor, presented to his widow in 2018. CHAPTERS 00:00 A Frozen Battlefield in France 00:38 The Colmar Pocket 01:17 The Decision to Become the Target 01:50 The Frozen Hell of Alsace 03:24 The Allied Push Begins 04:01 The German Assault at Houssen 05:31 The American Line Is in Danger 06:03 Who Was Garlin Conner? 07:38 A Dangerous Mission Forward 08:13 The Voice in the Ditch 09:17 Three Hours Directing Artillery 10:15 Fire on My Position 11:34 The Final Fire Command 12:27 The Barrage and Its Aftermath 13:34 The Distinguished Service Cross 14:15 A Quiet Life After the War 15:03 The Campaign for the Medal of Honor 15:39 The Medal of Honor in 2018 16:23 The Legacy of Garlin Conner 17:37 Remembering World War II Heroes Had you heard of Garlin Conner before this video? Which lesser-known WWII hero should we cover next? Subscribe for more World War II history and the stories of the people behind the battles. #WWII #MilitaryHistory #MedalOfHonor