b. 20/03/1912 West Haven, Connecticut. d. 20/10/1980 West Haven, Connecticut.
DATE OF MOH ACTION: 17/12/1944 near Rocherath, Belgium.
William A Soderman MOH
Soderman grew up in West Haven, Connecticut, and enlisted in the Army in August 1943, when he was 31 years old. He was eventually deployed to Europe, where he found himself involved in one of the bloodiest, most decisive battles of World War II — the Battle of the Bulge. The fight, which was for Belgium’s Ardennes Forest, began on Dec. 16, 1944, when Hitler’s troops began attacking exhausted American service members in the frozen woodland hills. It was the dictator’s last major stand against the Allies.
Soderman was with the 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, K Company during the nearly monthlong battle. On Dec. 17, 1944, his mission was to defend a key road junction near Rocherath, Belgium. Soderman was by himself when he heard enemy tanks heading his way. As the night grew dark, he calmly hid, waiting for them.
When the five tanks got within point-blank range, Soderman stood up, not caring about the intense firepower that could have blown him to bits, and fired his bazooka into the first tank. It immediately caught fire, forcing its crew to retreat.
The other tanks managed to get away before Soderman could reload, but he stayed in position all night — despite enemy fire — waiting for the next onslaught to come. Shortly after dawn, five more enemy tanks rolled into view. Soderman ran along a ditch to meet them, leapt into the road in full view of their gunners and fired again, disabling the lead tank. The other tanks couldn’t get around the crippled machine, so they withdrew.
On the way back to his post, Soderman attacked an enemy infantry platoon at close range, killing at least three Germans and wounding several others.
By now, his company’s position was no longer defendable, so they retreated to a safe location. But before long, Soderman heard enemy tanks approaching once again. He knew not everyone in the company had made it to safety, so he left his position of relative safety to meet the enemy head-on.
He shot his last rocket into the lead tank yet again, but before he could reach cover, machine gun fire ripped through his right shoulder. Seriously wounded, he had to drag himself along a ditch back to the American lines to be evacuated.
Soderman’s actions that day greatly contributed to the defense of Rocherath. For his efforts, he received the Medal of Honor, October 12 1945, from President Harry S. Truman at The White House. Soderman eventually got married, had two children and spent the rest of his career working for a Veterans Affairs hospital in his hometown. He died and was buried there on October 20, 1980.
MOH CITATION:
Armed with a bazooka, he defended a key road junction near Rocherath, Belgium, on 17 December 1944, during the German Ardennes counteroffensive. After a heavy artillery barrage had wounded and forced the withdrawal of his assistant, he heard enemy tanks approaching the position where he calmly waited in the gathering darkness of early evening until the five Mark V tanks which made up the hostile force were within point-blank range. He then stood up, completely disregarding the firepower that could be brought to bear upon him, and launched a rocket into the lead tank, setting it afire and forcing its crew to abandon it as the other tanks pressed on before Pfc. Soderman could reload. The daring bazookaman remained at his post all night under severe artillery, mortar, and machine-gun fire, awaiting the next onslaught, which was made shortly after dawn by five more tanks. Running along a ditch to meet them, he reached an advantageous point and there leaped to the road in full view of the tank gunners, deliberately aimed his weapon and disabled the lead tank. The other vehicles, thwarted by a deep ditch in their attempt to go around the crippled machine, withdrew. While returning to his post Pfc. Soderman, braving heavy fire to attack an enemy infantry platoon from close range, killed at least three Germans and wounded several others with a round from his bazooka. By this time, enemy pressure had made Company K’s position untenable. Orders were issued for withdrawal to an assembly area, where Pfc. Soderman was located when he once more heard enemy tanks approaching. Knowing that elements of the company had not completed their disengaging maneuver and were consequently extremely vulnerable to an armored attack, he hurried from his comparatively safe position to meet the tanks. Once more he disabled the lead tank with a single rocket, his last; but before he could reach cover, machine-gun bullets from the tank ripped into his right shoulder. Unarmed and seriously wounded he dragged himself along a ditch to the American lines and was evacuated. Through his unfaltering courage against overwhelming odds, Pfc. Soderman contributed in great measure to the defense of Rocherath, exhibiting to a superlative degree the intrepidity and heroism with which American soldiers met and smashed the savage power of the last great German offensive.
BURIAL LOCATION: OAK GROVE CEMETERY, WEST HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.
OAKDALE SECTION, LOT A 56.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: FAMILY.
