Sgt. Joseph J. Sadowski, of Perth Amboy, N. J., a tank commander in
the famous 4th Armored Division, who returned to his flaming tank in
the face of withering enemy fire and almost certain death in an effort
to rescue a trapped comrade, has been awarded the Medal of Honor
posthumously, the War Department has announced.
Maj. Gen. Francis Mallon, commanding general of the Army Ground Forces
Replacement Depot No. 1, Fort George G. Meade, Md., presented the
medal to Sergeant Sadowski’s father, Mr. John Sadowski, at a
ceremony held April 21 at Fort Meade.
Mrs. John Sadowski, mother of the sergeant, and his five brothers and
two sisters also attended the ceremony along with high ranking
officers of Army Ground Forces.
The action in which Sergeant Sadowski gave his life occurred last
September 14 at Valhey, France, when the tank which he commanded was
struck by an 88-mm shell at close range while advancing upon the town
with the leading elements of Combat Command A, 4th Armored Division.
With his tank disabled and in flames, Sergeant Sadowski ordered his
crew to dismount and take cover in the adjoining buildings.
Discovering that his bow gunner was still in the tank and for some
reason unable to dismount, he rushed back to the burning vehicle,
ignoring a hail of enemy machine gun and bazooka fire, and attempted
to pry open the bow gunner’s hatch.
While working feverishly to release his comrade from the flaming tank,
Sergeant Sadowski was cut down by a stream of machine gun bullets.
Other units of the task force, stunned and momentarily confused by the
suddenness and ferocity of the enemy attack, witnessed the action of
Sergeant Sadowski and, the citation states:
“The gallant and noble sacrifice of his life in the aid of his
comrade, undertaken in the face of almost certain death, so inspired
the remainder of the tank crews that they pressed forward with great
ferocity and completely destroyed the enemy forces in this town
without further loss to themselves.”
Sergeant Sadowski was active in outdoor sports and in boxing, in which
he excelled, he was presented with a golden belt buckle as a result of
his achievements in the Middlesex County Boxing Tournament of 1935.
In addition to the nation’s highest award, he earned the Purple
Heart and was entitled to wear the American Defense and the European
Theater Ribbons.
Sergeant Sadowski was a member of Company A, 37th Tank Battalion.
_(Armored News, 30 April 1945)_
19-Year-Old Staff Sergeant
Awarded Nation’s Top Honor