Einar H. Ingman Jr.
MEDAL OF HONOR CITATION:
Sgt. Ingman, a member of Company E, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy. The 2 leading squads of the assault platoon of his company, while attacking a strongly fortified ridge held by the enemy, were pinned down by withering fire and both squad leaders and several men were wounded. Cpl. Ingman assumed command, reorganized and combined the 2 squads, then moved from 1 position to another, designating fields of fire and giving advice and encouragement to the men. Locating an enemy machine gun position that was raking his men with devastating fire he charged it alone, threw a grenade into the position, and killed the remaining crew with rifle fire. Another enemy machine gun opened fire approximately 15 yards away and inflicted additional casualties to the group and stopped the attack. When Cpl. Ingman charged the second position he was hit by grenade fragments and a hail of fire which seriously wounded him about the face and neck and knocked him to the ground. With incredible courage and stamina, he arose instantly and, using only his rifle, killed the entire guncrew before falling unconscious from his wounds. As a result of the singular action by Cpl. Ingman the defense of the enemy was broken, his squad secured its objective, and more than 100 hostile troops abandoned their weapons and fled in disorganized retreat. Cpl. Ingman's indomitable courage, extraordinary heroism, and superb leadership reflect the highest credit on himself and are in keeping with the esteemed traditions of the infantry and the U.S. Army.
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Pilot Charles J. Searl (standing, third from left) and the Tomahawk Warrior crew
Tomahawk native and pilot Charles J. Searl, along with the crew of the B-17 bomber plane that Searl named the “Tomahawk Warrior,” part of the United States Army Air Forces 398th Bomb Group, flew many missions during World War II, including one to targets at Caen and Courseulles, France, on D-Day.
On Aug. 12, 1944, the Tomahawk Warrior experienced mechanical issues and crashed in Penn, England. According to the 398th Bomb Group Memorial Association, Searl purposely put the ill-fated aircraft down in an open field near Lude Farm, saving countless lives by avoiding the populated areas nearby. The entire crew, including Searl, died in the crash.
The Tomahawk Warrior crew is the subject of a book, The Tomahawk Warrior: The Final Honor, by author David E. Huntley. Huntley was nine years old when he witnessed the aftermath of the crash after the Tomahawk Warrior went down just a mile and a half from his family’s cottage.
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Henry E. Bronsted
Henry E. Bronsted was born in Tomahawk on June 26, 1898 to the late John M. and Bertha (Waller) Bronsted. After graduating from Tomahawk High School, he enlisted in the Wisconsin National Guard in 1917 as a member of the Fourth Infantry.
After arriving in France on March 4, 1918, Bronsted was sent to within six kilometers of the front lines at Cuperly, near Chalons, and was in the trenches on June 2.
Bronsted was killed at Juvingy after being struck in the heart by a shell fragment on Aug. 31, 1918. Bronsted’s remains arrived home in Tomahawk on Jan. 1, 1921, where his funeral service at Maccabee Hall was attended by the entire community.