2nd Lt. Luther Sydney "Syd"Gustafson
Rapelje, Montana
Luther Sydney Gustafson b.10/8/1920 Rapelje,Montana was the son of William F. Gustafson and Alice Klint Gustafson. Known by family andfriends as "Syd", he graduated from Gallatin High School in Bozeman, Montana andlater attended Montana State College. He was a member of the ROTC program and was awardeda reserve commission in the Infantry on 5/25/1942.
Syd received his active duty orders in June1942 and was sent to Ft. Benning, Georgia. He left for overseas duty in September of 1942where he remained until he lost his life in the Battle of Tunisia on 4/28/1943.
Sydney posthumously received theDistinguished Service Cross, the Croix de Militaries Voluntaries (the 2nd highest honor& decoration of the French Army) and the Order of the Purple Heart.
The citation that accompanied theDistinguished Service Cross stated: "Award of the Distinguished Service Cross,Posthumous, to Lt.. Luther S. Gustafson, 2nd Lt.. Infantry, for extraordinary heroism inaction in April 1943 in the Battle of Tunisia. During the advance of Lt.. Gustafson'sbattalion on Hill XXX, he led a combat patrol to secure this position. When the patrolcame under intense enemy machine gun fire, Lt.. Gustafson deplored them to form aneffective firing line while he made a personal reconnaissance of the emplacement. Locatingthe gun, he single-handedly attacked it with grenades and pistol and silenced it. Duringthis heroic action, Lt.. Gustafson lost his life" It was signed by Lt.. GeneralGeorge Patton, Commanding General of the 7th Army in Italy.
At the time of his death, Lt.. Luther S.Gustafson serial #0446806 was a member of the 39th Infantry Regiment 9th Division. He isburied in the North Africa American
Coleen Mielke http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~coleen
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