Eagle4ty
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VLUG, DIRK J.
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, 126th Infantry, 32d Infantry Division. Place and date. Near Limon, Leyte, Philippine Islands, 15 December 1944. Entered service at: Grand Rapids, Mich. Birth: Maple Lake, Minn. G.O. No.: 60, 26 June 1946. Citation: He displayed conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty when an American roadblock on the Ormoc Road was attacked by a group of enemy tanks. He left his covered position, and with a rocket launcher and 6 rounds of ammunition, advanced alone under intense machinegun and 37-mm. fire. Loading single-handedly, he destroyed the first tank, killing its occupants with a single round. As the crew of the second tank started to dismount and attack him, he killed 1 of the foe with his pistol, forcing the survivors to return to their vehicle, which he then destroyed with a second round. Three more hostile tanks moved up the road, so he flanked the first and eliminated it, and then, despite a hail of enemy fire, pressed forward again to destroy another. With his last round of ammunition he struck the remaining vehicle, causing it to crash down a steep embankment. Through his sustained heroism in the face of superior forces, Private First Class Vlug alone destroyed 5 enemy tanks and greatly facilitated successful accomplishment of his battalion's mission.
BTW my dad, a F.O. with the unit, and most of the rest of his entire battalion witnessed this action from the heights above. My father said it was the most heroic and stupidest things he had witnessed the entire war (and he served with the division from 1940 until 1945 and in all the campaingns of the 32nd Div in the Pacific - the most time in combat of any U.S. division in WW-II). I had briefly met Dirk when he came to a reunion of the division many moons ago (probably the 50th Anniv of VJ Day?). The 32nd Div-WI National Guard museum has a diorama of this action as one of its exhibits and some personal memorabilia from Dirk.
VLUG, DIRK J.
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, 126th Infantry, 32d Infantry Division. Place and date. Near Limon, Leyte, Philippine Islands, 15 December 1944. Entered service at: Grand Rapids, Mich. Birth: Maple Lake, Minn. G.O. No.: 60, 26 June 1946. Citation: He displayed conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty when an American roadblock on the Ormoc Road was attacked by a group of enemy tanks. He left his covered position, and with a rocket launcher and 6 rounds of ammunition, advanced alone under intense machinegun and 37-mm. fire. Loading single-handedly, he destroyed the first tank, killing its occupants with a single round. As the crew of the second tank started to dismount and attack him, he killed 1 of the foe with his pistol, forcing the survivors to return to their vehicle, which he then destroyed with a second round. Three more hostile tanks moved up the road, so he flanked the first and eliminated it, and then, despite a hail of enemy fire, pressed forward again to destroy another. With his last round of ammunition he struck the remaining vehicle, causing it to crash down a steep embankment. Through his sustained heroism in the face of superior forces, Private First Class Vlug alone destroyed 5 enemy tanks and greatly facilitated successful accomplishment of his battalion's mission.
BTW my dad, a F.O. with the unit, and most of the rest of his entire battalion witnessed this action from the heights above. My father said it was the most heroic and stupidest things he had witnessed the entire war (and he served with the division from 1940 until 1945 and in all the campaingns of the 32nd Div in the Pacific - the most time in combat of any U.S. division in WW-II). I had briefly met Dirk when he came to a reunion of the division many moons ago (probably the 50th Anniv of VJ Day?). The 32nd Div-WI National Guard museum has a diorama of this action as one of its exhibits and some personal memorabilia from Dirk.
