Herman C. Wallace
| Herman Claudious Wallace | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 12, 1924 Marlow, Oklahoma |
| Died | February 27, 1945 (aged 20) near Prümzurlay, Germany |
| Place of burial | City of Lubbock Cemetery Lubbock, Texas |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1943 - 1945 |
| Rank | Private First Class |
| Unit | 301st Engineer Combat Battalion, 76th Infantry Division |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards |
Medal of Honor Purple Heart |
Herman Claudious Wallace (June 12, 1924– February 27, 1945) was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II.
Wallace joined the Army from Lubbock, Texas in June 1943, and by February 27, 1945 was serving as a private first class in Company B, 301st Engineer Combat Battalion, 76th Infantry Division. On that day, during demining operations near Prümzurlay in western Germany, Wallace stepped on an S-mine. Knowing that if he tried to run away the mine would pop up and explode a few feet off the ground, thus endangering the soldiers near him, he deliberately remained standing on the mine until it detonated. Wallace was killed in the explosion, but the blast was confined to the ground and no other soldiers were injured. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor eight months later, on October 25, 1945.
Wallace, aged 20 at his death, was buried in the City of Lubbock Cemetery, Lubbock, Texas.
Private First Class Wallace's official Medal of Honor citation reads:
/S/ HARRY S. TRUMAN
Wallace Theater on Fort Belvoir, VA was named after him upon dedication April 4, 1950.
The former U.S. Army installation Wallace Barracks in the Bad Cannstatt district of Stuttgart, Germany was named after him during the Cold War.
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