George B. Turner


George Benton Turner was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions in World War II.

Biography

Turner was educated at Wentworth Military Academy in Lexington, Missouri. In 1918, he left the academy to join the Marine Corps in the First World War, but the war ended before he was able to go overseas to join in the fighting. During the 1920s he moved to California, where he worked as a legal secretary for a law office.
When the U.S. entered the Second World War, Turner volunteered once again to defend his country. He joined the Army from Los Angeles in October 1942, and was assigned to the 14th Armored Division. For his actions on January 3, 1945, he received the Medal of Honor on August 23, 1945.

Medal of Honor citation

His MOH citation read:
“The President of the United States takes pleasure in awarding the MEDAL of HONOR to PRIVATE FIRST CLASS GEORGE B. TURNER, BTRY. C, 499th ARMORED FIELD ARTILLERY BN. UNITED STATES ARMY for service as set forth in the following CITATION:
Turner was the only recipient of the Medal of Honor from the 14th Armored Division during World War II. President Harry S. Truman remarked while presenting Turner the Medal of Honor: "I would rather have that medal than be president of the United States."