Harold Leo Turner

Sergeant, U.S. Army

Medal of Honor Recipient

World War I

Sergeant Harold Leo Turner (5 May 1898 - 12 March 1938) was a U.S. Army soldier who received the U.S. military's highest award for valor, the Medal of Honor, for his heroic actions during World War I.

Medal of Honor

Rank and organization: Corporal, U.S. Army, Company F, 142nd Infantry, 36th Division.

Place and date: Near St. Etienne, France, 8 October 1918.

Citation: After his platoon had started the attack Cpl. Turner assisted in organizing a platoon consisting of the battalion scouts, runners, and a detachment of Signal Corps. As second in command of this platoon, he fearlessly led them forward through heavy enemy fire, continually encouraging the men. Later he encountered deadly machinegun fire which reduced the strength of his command to but 4 men, and these were obliged to take shelter. The enemy machinegun emplacement, 25 yards distant, kept up a continual fire from 4 machineguns. After the fire had shifted momentarily, Cpl. Turner rushed forward with fixed bayonet and charged the position alone capturing the strong point with a complement of 50 Germans and 1 machinegun. His remarkable display of courage and fearlessness was instrumental in destroying the strong point, the fire from which had blocked the advance of his company.

Death and Burial

Sergeant Harold Leo Turner died on 12 March 1938. He is buried at Little Cemetery in Little, Seminole County, OK.