▁at : Bar ber ton , ▁Ohio ▁C itation : ▁He ▁volunte ered ▁to ▁investigate ▁the ▁delay ▁in ▁a ▁scheduled ▁attack ▁by ▁an ▁attached ▁gu err illa ▁batt alion . ▁Re aching ▁the ▁line ▁of ▁departure , ▁he ▁found ▁that ▁the ▁lead ▁company , ▁in ▁combat ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time , ▁was ▁imm obil ized ▁by ▁inten se ▁enemy ▁mort ar , ▁mach in eg un , ▁and ▁rif le ▁fire ▁which ▁had ▁caused ▁cas ual ties ▁to ▁key ▁personnel . ▁Know ing ▁that ▁further ▁failure ▁to ▁advance ▁would ▁end anger ▁the ▁fl anks ▁of ▁adjacent ▁units , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁delay ▁capture ▁of ▁the ▁objective , ▁he ▁immediately ▁took ▁command ▁of ▁the ▁company , ▁ev acu ated ▁the ▁wounded , ▁re organ ized ▁the ▁unit ▁under ▁fire , ▁and ▁prepared ▁to ▁attack . ▁He ▁repeatedly ▁exposed ▁himself ▁to ▁draw ▁reve aling ▁fire ▁from ▁the ▁Japanese ▁strong points , ▁and ▁then ▁moved ▁forward ▁with ▁a ▁ 5 - man ▁covering ▁force ▁to ▁determine ▁exact ▁enemy ▁positions . ▁Although ▁inten se ▁enemy ▁mach in eg un ▁fire ▁killed ▁ 2 ▁and ▁wounded ▁his ▁other ▁ 3 ▁men , ▁S / S gt . ▁Wood ford ▁resol utely ▁continued ▁his ▁pat rol ▁before ▁returning ▁to ▁the ▁company . ▁Then , ▁against ▁bitter ▁resistance , ▁he ▁gu ided ▁the ▁gu err illas ▁up ▁a ▁bar ren ▁hill ▁and ▁captured ▁the ▁objective , ▁personally ▁account ing ▁for ▁ 2 ▁host ile ▁mach in eg unn ers ▁and ▁courage ously ▁recon no iter ing ▁strong ▁def ensive ▁positions