VIPs

   Slide 19

David C. Waybur

DAVID C. WAYBUR (1922-1945)
was a first lieutenant with the 3rd Reconnaissance Troop from Piedmont, California. He enlisted as a private in the army on November 22, 1940, and by the time of the Allied invasion of Sicily in July 1943, he was a first lieutenant commanding a 3rd Reconnaissance Troop platoon. After receiving the Medal of Honor, Waybur was sent to the United States to work on war bond tours, but asked to be returned to combat duty. Waybur was killed in action in Germany on March 28, 1945. Waybur is buried at the Lorraine American Cemetery in Saint-Avold, France. He was awarded the Medal of Honor, Silver Star, and Purple Heart in WWII.

He was awarded the Medal of Honor for action on July 17, 1943 in Agrigento, Sicily and it was presented to him by Lieutenant General Mark Wayne Clark, commander of the Fifth Army, during a ceremony in North Africa later that year.

MEDAL OF HONOR CITATION:

The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to First Lieutenant (Infantry) David Crowder Waybur, United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty on 17 July 1943, while serving with 3d Reconnaissance Troop, 3d Infantry Division, in action involving actual conflict with the enemy at Agrigento, Sicily. Commander of a reconnaissance platoon, First Lieutenant Waybur volunteered to lead a three-vehicle patrol into enemy-held territory to locate an isolated Ranger unit. Proceeding under cover of darkness, over roads known to be heavily mined, and strongly defended by road blocks and machinegun positions, the patrol's progress was halted at a bridge which had been destroyed by enemy troops and was suddenly cut off from its supporting vehicles by four enemy tanks. Although hopelessly outnumbered and out-gunned, and himself and his men completely exposed, he quickly dispersed his vehicles and ordered his gunners to open fire with their .30 and .50 caliber machineguns. Then, with ammunition exhausted, three of his men hit and himself seriously wounded, he seized his .45 caliber Thompson submachine gun and standing in the bright moonlight directly in the line of fire, alone engaged the leading tank at 30 yards and succeeded in killing the crewmembers, causing the tank to run onto the bridge and crash into the stream bed. After dispatching one of the men for aid he rallied the rest to cover and withstood the continued fire of the tanks till the arrival of aid the following morning.