----------------------------------------------------------------- Source: http://www.tankbooks.com/stories/story63.htm Downloaded 9 January 2002 -- Later posted here: http://www.grunts.net/army/stories/measure.htm 1 September 2004 Currently posted here: http://www.kilroywashere.org/009-Pages/09-0Tributes-Stories.html 11 January 2008 ----------------------------------------------------------------- The Last Full Measure By Thomas Deas, MD ----- This story was provided to the World War II Oral History web site by Marion Hess, regimental historian of the 124th Regiment of the 31st Infantry Division. She corresponded frequently with Dr. Tom Deas until her death on 29 August 2001. ----- Hugh Summerfield wasn't quite 19 years old. He was a blonde, baby-faced lad of about five feet nine inches from West Virginia. He stood erect in the formation of soldiers in the Company street, 1st Battalion area. He was wearing his glasses at the time and they looked out of place on him. I remember the words, to some extent, for he was being awarded the Silver Star and the Purple Heart. I can still hear the officer reading the citation: "General orders Number 00-APO 31-00 February 1945. By the direction of the President, under the provision of the Act of Congress, approved 9 July, 1918, a Silver Star is awarded by the Commanding General, 31st Infantry Division, to the following named Enlisted Man, Pfc. Hugh Summerfield (SN), Medical Department of the United States Army. For gallantry in action on the Driniumor River, near Aitape, British New Guinea." The date escapes me, but it was in 1944. During this action Summerfield was severely wounded, and without regard for his own safety had saved several of his comrades before being evacuated to a hospital. Just as soon as he was released from the Evac Hospital he finagled his way back to his beloved 1st Battalion of the 124th Infantry Regiment. At the time, we were on Morotai Island and were in the process of staging for the invasion of the Philippines. We arrived at Cotabato, Mindanao, on 23 April and debarked under peaceful conditions as the 24th Division had landed here a couple of weeks before and headed due East to Davao on the East coast. We were given the assignment to move by land and by boat to Fort Pikit and Kabacan. We reached there about 27 April, 1945. Then we headed North up the Sayre Highway, a wide dirt trail through fields of grass six to seven feet high and at times through swamps where the road was just two planks about 18 inches wide for wheels to ride on. Most of the bridges were blown. We passed through dense wooded areas past grass and bamboo huts made by those who lived there or the Japanese. One river was about four feet deep and 50 yards across. We had to build a makeshift bridge to get our half-dozen jeeps across. Our objective was the Kibawe Air Strip, where the road took off east to Davao. As we passed it on May 6, we had been fighting up the road for nearly 50 miles. There we met a large force of well-dug-in enemy on each side of the road. We fought tooth and toenail and lost many good men to death and wounds. The 1st Battalion was stopped and so was the 2nd Battalion on the other side of the road. Many were wounded. The Japs would let us advance so far and then come out of their holes and shoot from behind. Their holes were not over two feet wide and were five to seven feet deep with connecting tunnels. It was a devious situation. The medics spent most of the day trying to get to the wounded and bring them back, an almost miraculous task. Pfc. Hugh Summerfield worked tirelessly and seemed to have a charmed life as he brought back man after man till dark. Then he was sure that another one of his comrades was alive and in a certain place. Against all warning by his commanding officer, Summerfield crawled back out to get his comrade. He didn't come back that night and the next morning our troops advanced again. They found Summerfield lying over a comrade. Both were dead. The letter to his mother that I wrote was almost as bad as being wounded. I told of his heroism and dedication to his comrades. I sent the Silver Star with an Oak Leaf Cluster and a Purple Heart with an Oak Leaf Cluster, but that letter also contained the love and admiration of the company of the 1st battalion to which he was attached. Pfc. Hugh Summerfield, a man before he was old enough and a Hero before all of his friends and comrades. ----- Dr. Thomas Deas was the Regimental Surgeon in command of the 124th Infantry Regiment Medical Detachment, of the 31st Infantry Division. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Marion Hess died on 29 August 2001. Thomas M. Deas, M.D. Transcribed by Paul M. Webber on 9 January 2002 Home Page: http://home.pcisys.net/~pwebber/31_id/rtw.htm