Walter Ehlers
| Walter David Ehlers | |
|---|---|
 
Ehlers speaking at a 2007 ceremony commemorating the anniversary of D-Day
|
|
| Born |
May 7, 1921 Junction City, Kansas |
| Died | February 20, 2014 (aged 92) Long Beach, California |
| Place of burial | Riverside National Cemetery, Riverside, California |
| Allegiance |
 United States
|
| Service/ |
 United States Army
|
| Years of service | 1940–1945 |
| Rank | Second Lieutenant |
| Unit | 18th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division |
| Battles/wars |
World War II • Operation Torch • Allied invasion of Sicily • Normandy landings |
| Awards | Medal of Honor, Silver Star, 3 Purple Heart |
Walter David Ehlers (May 7, 1921 – February 20, 2014) was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the US armed forces' highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions in World War II.
Ehlers was born on May 7, 1921, in Junction City, Kansas.
Ehlers joined the Army from the city of Manhattan, Kansas in October 1940. He and his older brother Roland served in the same unit and participated in the fighting in North Africa and Sicily.
By D-Day on June 6, 1944, Ehlers was a staff sergeant and squad leader in the 18th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division. His squad, part of the invasion's second wave, waited off shore in a Landing Craft, Infantry, while the first group of soldiers landed. When the first wave became pinned down on the beach, his unit was transferred to a Higgins boat and sent forward early to assist. They fought their way off the beach and by June 9 were near the town of Goville, 8 miles (13 km) inland. On that day, he led his unit's attack against German forces and single-handedly defeated several enemy machine gun nests. The next day the platoon came under heavy fire. Ehlers was wounded, but managed to cover the platoon's withdrawal; this included carrying a wounded automatic rifleman to safety and running back through enemy fire to retrieve his Browning Automatic Rifle. After treatment of his wounds, Ehlers refused to be evacuated and continued to lead his squad. For his actions, he was awarded the Medal of Honor six months later, on December 19, 1944.
On July 14, more than a month after D-Day, Ehlers learned that his brother Roland had died at Omaha Beach when his landing craft was struck by a mortar shell.
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