James M . Logan James Marion Logan ( December 19 , 1920 – October 9 , 1999 ) was an American and former National Guard soldier who was a recipient of the United States military ' s highest decoration — the Medal of Honor — for his actions in World War II . Logan joined the Texas National Guard from Luling , Texas in 1936 , at the age of 15 . By September 9 , 1943 he was serving as a Sergeant in the 142nd Infantry Regiment , 36th Infantry Division . On that day , he participated in the Allied landings near Salerno , Italy . Logan single - handedly captured a German machine gun emplacement and later killed an enemy sniper . For these actions , he was awarded the Medal of Honor ten months later , on July 5 , 1944 . Logan reached the rank of technical sergeant before leaving the Army in March and then National Guard in May 1945 . He died at age 78 and was buried at the Texas State Cemetery in Austin , Texas . He was posthumously awarded the Texas Legislative Medal of Honor on May 30 , 1997 . Medal of Honor . Medal of Honor citation . Sergeant Logan ' s official Medal of Honor citation reads : For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty in action involving actual conflict on 9 September 1943 in the vicinity of Salerno , Italy . As a rifleman of an infantry company , Sgt . Logan landed with the first wave of the assault echelon on the beaches of the Gulf of Salerno , and after his company had advanced 800 yards inland and taken positions along the forward bank of an irrigation canal , the enemy began a serious counterattack from positions along a rock wall which ran parallel with the canal about 200 yards further inland . Voluntarily exposing himself to the fire of a machinegun located along the rock wall , which sprayed the ground so close to him that he was splattered with dirt and rock splinters from the impact of the bullets , Sgt . Logan killed the first 3 Germans as they came through a gap in the wall . He then attacked the machinegun . As he dashed across the 200 yards of exposed terrain a withering stream of fire followed his advance . Reaching the wall , he crawled along the base , within easy reach of the enemy crouched along the opposite side , until he reached the gun . Jumping up , he shot the 2 gunners down , hurdled the wall , and seized the gun . Swinging it around , he immediately opened fire on the enemy with the remaining ammunition , raking their flight and inflicting further casualties on them as they fled . After smashing the machinegun over the rocks , Sgt . Logan captured an enemy officer and private who were attempting to sneak away . Later in the morning , Sgt . Logan went after a sniper hidden in a house about 150 yards from the company . Again the intrepid Sgt . ran a gauntlet of fire to reach his objective . Shooting the lock off the door , Sgt . Logan kicked it in and shot the sniper who had just reached the bottom of the stairs . The conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity which characterized Sgt . Logan ' s exploits proved a constant inspiration to all the men of his company , and aided materially in insuring the success of the beachhead at Salerno . Texas Legislative Medal of Honor . James Logan was the first recipient of the Texas Legislative Medal of Honor on May 30 , 1997