David C . Waybur David Crowder Waybur ( 1919 – March 28 , 1945 ) was a United States Army officer and a recipient of the United States military ' s highest decoration — the Medal of Honor — for his actions in World War II . During the Allied invasion of Sicily , he led his small patrol in its defense against an attack by four Italian tanks . Despite being seriously wounded , he continued to lead and personally disabled one tank with only a Tommy gun . After receiving the Medal of Honor for these actions , he returned to combat and was killed in action in Germany . Biography . Waybur was from Piedmont , California and worked as a grocery store clerk and ranch hand before joining the military . He enlisted in the Army as a private on November 22 , 1940 , but later became a commissioned officer . By the time of the Allied invasion of Sicily in July 1943 , he was a first lieutenant commanding the 3rd Reconnaissance Troop , 3rd Infantry Division . On the night of July 17 , 1943 , one week after the invasion of Sicily began , Waybur volunteered to lead a reconnaissance patrol into enemy territory near Agrigento . The patrol , consisting of three Jeep s , was cut off and attacked by four Italian tanks . In the ensuing firefight , Waybur and three of his men were wounded , Waybur seriously so . When the patrol ' s three machine guns ran out of ammunition , he ordered his men to take cover and single - handedly disabled one tank by standing in the open and killing its crew with a Thompson submachine gun . After sending one patrol member to get help , Waybur continued to lead his men in holding off the three remaining tanks through the night . American reinforcements arrived in the morning , and the Italian tanks withdrew . Three months later , on October 21 , 1943 , Waybur was issued the Medal of Honor for his actions during the battle . The medal was formally presented to him by Lieutenant General Mark Wayne Clark , commander of the Fifth Army , during a ceremony in North Africa later that year . Waybur was sent back to the United States to work on war bond tours , but he eventually asked to be returned to combat duty . He was killed in action in Germany on March 28 , 1945 — two years after earning the Medal of Honor . Waybur was buried at the Lorraine American Cemetery and Memorial in Saint - Avold , France . In addition to the Medal of Honor , he had also received the Silver Star and a Purple Heart . Medal of Honor citation . First Lieutenant Waybur ' s official Medal of Honor citation reads : For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty in action involving actual conflict with the enemy . Commander of a reconnaissance platoon , 1st Lt . Waybur volunteered to lead a 3 - vehicle patrol into enemy - held territory to locate an isolated Ranger unit . Proceeding under cover of darkness , over roads known to be heavily mined , and strongly defended by road blocks and machinegun positions , the patrol ' s progress was halted at a bridge which had been destroyed by enemy troops and was suddenly cut off from its supporting vehicles by 4 enemy tanks . Although hopelessly outnumbered and out - gunned , and himself and his men completely exposed , he quickly dispersed his vehicles and ordered his gunners to open fire with their . 30 and . 50 caliber machineguns . Then , with ammunition exhausted , 3 of his men hit and himself seriously wounded , he seized his . 45 caliber Thompson submachinegun and standing in the bright moonlight directly in the line of fire , alone engaged the leading tank at 30 yards and succeeded in killing the crewmembers , causing the tank to run onto the bridge and crash into the stream bed . After dispatching 1 of the men for aid he rallied the rest to cover and withstood the continued fire of the tanks till the arrival of aid the following morning .