HONORED POSTHUMOUSLY -- Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Field of Hanlontown received the purple heart and citation awarded posthumously to their son, Sgt. Harold Field, who was killed in action in Germany Nov. 30. He was in the medical corps. Although his helmet was plainly marked with the red cross of the corps, he was shot down by machine gun fire.
Source: The Mason City Globe-Gazette, March 8, 1945 (photo included)
MEDAL GIVEN TO FATHER OF HERO
Sgt. Harold F. Field Honored at Ceremony
Hanlontown -- Capt. Everett M. Robie, chaplain of the prisoner of war camp at Algona, presented Edwin Field with the Silver Star medal won by his son, Sgt. Harold Ford Field before he was killed in action in France. The medal presented Sunday at the Field home in Hanlontown with close friends and relatives witnessing the ceremony.
Sgt. Field was attached to the medical unit of the 103rd infantry division, familiarly known as the Cactus division, which served in France, Germany and Austria.
The citation reads: "For gallantry in action during the daylight hours of Nov. 28, 1944, Sgt. Field medical aid man attached to Company C, was accompanying the front line attacking companies when they were subject to an intense concentration of enemy machinegun fire.
Observing a wounded comrade in need of immediate medical attention he crawled from cover with utter disregard for his life to administer first aid.
As he advanced about 25 yards amid a hail of enemy fire he suffered wounds from an enemy machingun. Despite his wounds and with magnificent courage he pushed toward the wounded man.
Just as he reached his comrade's side a hail of machingun fire raked the area where he was located, mortally wounding him.
Throughout this entire action, Sgt. Field's superb valor and undiminished fearlessness were in accordance with the highest tradition of military service."
Harold "Bud" Field was a graduate of the Hanlontown high school and attended Luther college, Decorah, Waldorf college, Forest City, and Iowa State Teachers college, Cedar Falls. He was the only child of Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Field of Hanlontown.
Source: Mason City Globe-Gazette, October 6, 1945
GI VISITS GRAVE OF SCHOOLMATE
Hanlontown Soldier Writes From France
Hanlontown -- Sgt. Boyd Loveless who is stationed at Le Havre, France, writes his parents that he recently went to see the grave of his schoolmate and friend, Sgt. Harold Field, who was killed during the war.
He writes that Harold (Bud) Field is buried at Epinal, France, which is 350 miles from Le Havre. He also writes that he took some pictures of the grave and bought a clump of white flowers from a native who promised to take care of them.
He also found graves of many of the members from his old regiment including that of Capt. Patch.
Source: Mason City Globe-Gazette, November 8, 1945
Tec 4 Harold Forde Field (1921-1944)
Harold F. Field is final burial place is at the American Cemetery in Epinal, France |
Hanlontown Legion Post Changes Name
Hanlontown—The Hanlontown American Legion post has changed its name to Harold Field post, No. 634 in honor of Harold “Bud” Field, only son of Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Field, who was killed in action in Germany, Nov. 30, 1944. He was posthumously awarded the silver star for gallantry several months after his death. The Legion post, which had been inactive for many years, was reorganized about a year ago. The group has recently rented the room back of Brown’s Café for a clubroom.
Source: The Mason City Globe-Gazette, January 12, 1951, Page 4
