For its “extraordinary heroism in military operations against an armed enemy”, the 242nd infantry was given a presidential unit citation. My great-granddad Cpl. James A. Derry) was part of that unit. Here is the description of what he contributed.

Seeing that tank support was badly needed to fight against the oncoming german tanks….The division began to organize a mine field and series of roadblocks in Hatten.

At 1055 Cpl. Derry was sent to Rittersfofen to pick up two daisy chains which had been laid there.

The next events are what earned the unit a citation.

For the second time that same day, Cpl. Derry had to go back on a heavily shelled road and this time pick up mines already fused.

At 1120, Cpl. James Derry came into Hatten with the daisy chains of mines, and started to lay them. At this time, the Mine Platoon arrived with one hundred mines. They, immediately, began laying the hasty mine field. Two men were nicked by sniper fire, and shrapnel was raining down, but the Mine Platoon doggedly stuck to the job at hand. At the completion of this field, one Squad under Sgt. H.P. Raymer started back after more mines to set up road blocks to other avenues of approach. The two remaining squads deployed on each side of the street to cover the mine field with small arms.

At 1135, just as Lt. Yeates and Capt. Caringola had gotten the last mine and man placed, an enemy tank rolled down the street and commenced firing at the building where the men of the Mine Platoon were deployed. Enemy tankers sprang from the tank and tried to remove the mines, but were quickly mowed down. Seeing that it was impossible to get through, the enemy tank retreated.