On This Day In History - Chapter 1

On this day, 82 years ago, on June 6, 1944, First Lieutenant Jimmie W. Monteith Jr., age 26, landed with Company L, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, in the first assault wave on Omaha Beach near Colleville-sur-Mer, France.

As Monteith hit the beach, German machine guns, mortars, and artillery opened fire from reinforced positions on the cliffs. The landing zone was a killing field. Units were disorganized. Casualties were heavy. Officers were down. Men were scattered and pinned along the waterline. Monteith got up, walked into the fire, and started pulling soldiers together. He moved from cover to cover, rallying men, forming them into assault teams, and giving orders to push forward.

He led one of the first small groups off the beach. They advanced over a narrow ledge and crossed an open area under constant enemy fire. He guided them to the base of a cliff where they found partial cover. That action allowed more men to follow and regroup away from the kill zone.

Monteith then turned back. He crossed the open beach alone to reach two Sherman tanks that had landed but were stuck and unable to locate enemy targets. He climbed onto the tanks under fire. He pounded on the hatches and gave directions. On foot, he led the tanks through a live minefield to get them into position. Under his guidance, the tanks opened fire on German pillboxes, machine gun nests, and strong points, taking out several fortified enemy emplacements.

After helping the tanks, Monteith rejoined his company. He led them in an assault on WN 60, one of the key German resistance nests on the bluffs. He ordered Bangalore torpedoes placed to cut through the barbed wire. He led the charge through the opening, across mines and direct gunfire, and into close combat. They cleared the position and secured it.

Monteith stayed on the line. He helped organize the defense of the captured ground as the Germans launched multiple counterattacks. He moved across 200 to 300 yards of open terrain more than once to maintain communication between separated elements of the line.

Later in the day, German forces closed in on his position. They surrounded it. Monteith tried to lead his men in a breakout. As he moved through enemy fire again, he was shot and killed.

For his actions on June 6, 1944, First Lieutenant Jimmie W. Monteith Jr. was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.