Little more than a year after Commando Kelly, the 36th Division’s begloried one man army, received his Congressional Medal of Honor, his former ‘L’ Company buddy, 2nd Lt. Stephen R, Gregg. Bayonne. N. J. on March 14th became the second 143rd Infantryman to win the nation’s highest battle award for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at Montelimar, France, on 27 August 1944.

In a colorful field ceremony Lt. Gen. Alexander M. Patch, Commanding General of the Seventh Army, made the presentation.

Asked to comment on his valorous action, the friendly, battled commissioned lieutenant smiled and said. “The citation’s got it. There’s not much else to say.”

The official citation states:

“As his platoon advanced upon the enemy positions, the leading scout was fired upon and T/Sgt. Gregg, Platoon Sergeant. immediatly put his machine gun ito action to cover the advance of the riflemen. The Germans who were at close range, threw hand grenades at the rifleman, killing some and wounding seven. Each time the medical aid man attempted to reach the wounded, the Germans fired on him Realizing the seriousness of the situation, T/Sgt. Gregg took one of the [light] 30 caliber machine guns, and firing from the hip, started boldly up the hill while the medical aid man followed him. Although the enemy was throwing hand grenades at him, T/Sgt. Gregg remained and fired into the enemy positions while the medical aid man removed the seven wounded men to safety. In so doing T/Sgt. Gregg expanded all of his ammunition and the enemy observing it, challenged him. He was covered by four Germans, who ordered him to surrender. Due to the fact the attention of most of the Germans had been diverted by watching this action, friendly riflemen were able to maneuver to firing positions. One seeing T/Sgt. Gregg’s situation, opened fire on the sergeant’s captors. The four Germans hit the ground and there upon T/Sgt. Gregg removed a machine pistol from one of the Germans and managed to escape to his other machine gun positions. He manned the gun firing at his captors, killed one of them and wounded the others. This action so disorganized the Germans that his platoon was able to continue its advance up the hill to achieve its objective. The following morning, just prior to day break, the Germans launched a strong attack supported by tanks in an attempt to drive Company L from the hill. As enemy tanks moved along the valley and their foot troops advanced up the hill, T/Sgt Gregg immediatly ordered his mortars into action. During the day by careful observation he was able to direct effective fire on the enemy, inflicting heavy casualties. By late afternoon he had directed 600 rounds when his communication to the mortars was knocked out. Without hesitation, he started checking his wire although the area was under heavy enemy small arms and artillery fire. When he was within 100 yards of his mortar position, one of the mortar men informed him that the mortar section had been captured and the Germans were using the mortars to fire on the company. T/Sgt. Gregg with this man and another nearby rifleman started for the gun position where he could see five Germans firing his mortars. He ordered the two men to cover him, crawled up, threw a hand grenade into the position and then charged it. The hand grenade killed one, injured two; T/Sgt. Gregg took the other two as prisoners. and put his mortar back into action.
 

Lt. Gregg made the Salerno landing in September, 1943 as a Private First Class. At Alta Villa. Gregg defended the hill behind the town and became a corporal while Charlie Kelly historically heaved mortar shells from a window. At the Rapido River T/Sgts Stephen Gregg and Charles Kelly won Silver Stars when together they led their platoons back across the turbulent waters in the fiercest of all 36th Division struggles.

It is to the same leader that Kelly paid tribute last year, Capt. Zerk O. Robertson, Merkel, Texas, their former company commander, that Lt. Gregg praised this year.

"He taught me just about everything,” the lieutenant explained. “As long as he was leading, the fellows in our company would have died for him."
 

After the Riviera invasion, Sgt. Gregg led his platoon practically all the way into Alsace. When he asked for an officer platoon commander, Lt. Col. Theodore H. Andrews, the battalion commander would say, « Pin a bar on yourself, Gregg. » On January 17th he took his Colonel’s advice.

In addition to his Congressional Medal of Honor, Lt. Gregg wears the Silver Star, the Purple Heart and one Oak Leaf Cluster for wounds received on Mt. Cairo and at Montelimar, and the Combat Infantryman’s badge.