Richard A. Kersting
Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army

Richard A. Kersting was an outstanding athlete, He graduated from McGuffey High School in Oxford, OH, in June 1937, before he was 16 years of age. Later, he attended Ohio State, Miami University, and Dartmouth. Richard held defense jobs at the American Rolling Mill in Middletown and at the Wright Aeronautical plant in Lockland before enlisting as a Private in the U.S. Army in April 1942. Kersting planned to continue his premed studies after the war. He was later commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers.

On 11 July 1944, Second Lieutenant Richard A. Kersting was serving with the 246th Engineer Combat Battalion, First U.S. Army.

On that day, 2LT Kersting’s unit was in action against German forces near Saint-Lô. France. While proceeding on foot in advance of a tank, 2LT Kersting and the men with him encountered about 40 German soldiers. A running fight developed with the resisting Germans from house to house. 2LT Kersting led his men in an assault that killed 10 of the enemy and caused the remaining Germans to take cover in one of the houses. Then, while covered by the fire of the other soldiers and the tank, 2LT Kersting, although exposed to enemy fire, made his way to the door of the house, kicked it in and called to the Germans to surrender. Led by their officer, the Germans laid down their arms, exited the house and surrendered. As the last of the 30 enemy soldiers left the building, 2LT Kersting, seeing the muzzle of a rifle protruding from another door in the same house, pinned himself to the wall just as a shot was fired at him. He then killed the German soldier that fired the shot. 2LT Kersting’s aggressive leadership, courageous actions and extraordinary heroism that day earned him the U.S. Army's second highest award for valor, the Distinguished Service Cross.

2LT Kersting was killed in action on 26 July 1944 in France.

Medals and Awards

Distinguished Service Cross
Purple Heart
Army Good Conduct Medal
American Campaign Medal
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 2 Bronze Stars
World War II Victory Medal

Distinguished Service Cross Citation

The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to Richard A. Kersting (0-1112802), Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving with the 246th Engineer Combat Battalion, in action against enemy forces on 11 July 1944, in France. Second Lieutenant Kersting and the men with him, while proceeding on foot in advance of a tank, encountered about 40 enemy soldiers. A running fight developed with the Germans resisting from hours to house. Second Lieutenant Kersting led his men in an assault in which 10 of the enemy were killed and the remaining Germans took cover in one of the houses. Then, while covered by the fire of the other soldiers and the tank, Second Lieutenant Kersting though exposed to enemy fire, fearlessly made his way to the door of the house, kicked it in and called to the Germans to surrender. Led by their officer the Germans laid down their arms, came out of the house and surrendered. As the last of these soldiers left the building, Second Lieutenant Kersting observed the muzzle of a rifle protruding from another door in the same building. He pinned himself to the wall as a shot was fired at him and then killed the enemy soldier who had fired the shot. The aggressive leadership and personal bravery displayed by Second Lieutenant Kersting exemplify the highest traditions of the military forces of the United States and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.

Headquarters, First U.S. Army, General Orders No. 61 (1944)

Burial

Second Lieutenant Richard A. Kersting is buried at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer, Departement du Calvados, Basse-Normandie, France, in Plot H, Row 5, Grave 29.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56646350/richard-a-kersting