Stryker, Stuart Stanton, born 30-10-1924, in Portland, Multnomah County, Oregon, USA, to Captain Gordon David Stryker Sr. (1896–1972) and his wife Mabel Ceres, born Hammond Lamp and had one brother Gordon David Stryker Jr (1921–1978)..
Stuart joined the US Army
in July 1943 and following his training, he was assigned to Company E,514th Parachute Infantry Regiment,
17th Airborne Division
under command of Major General William Maynadier “Bud” Miley
and saw combat action in Belgium and France.
The 513th PIR was not sent overseas until after the D-Day landings, which took place on 06 -06-1944, and was still in training in England during Operation Market Garden in September. During the crisis of the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944, the division was flown into Reims, France and moved by truck into southern Belgium. In January 1945, the 513th Parachute Infantry was sent into the assault on Flamierge. During this fight, Staff Sergeant Isadore Siegfried “Izzy” Jachman
raced through heavy fire, picked up a bazooka from a fallen comrade and drove off two tanks, damaging one. His Medal of Honor citation concludes, “S/Sgt. Jachman’s heroic action, in which he suffered fatal wounds, disrupted the entire enemy attack, reflecting the highest credit upon himself and the parachute infantry.” “Izzy” died 04-01-1945 (aged 22).
In late March 1945 Stuart participated in a combat airborne mission over Germany during Operation Varsity, the largest airborne operation in history that was conducted in a single day at one location. Operation Varsity (24-03-1945) was a successful airborne forces operation launched by Allied troops toward the end of World War II. Involving more than 16,000 paratroopers and several thousand aircraft, The aircraft he parachuted from missed it assigned drop zone but the men soon recovered and after approaching their intended target, a large farmhouse fortified with enemy soldiers, he led a charge on the farmhouse and was killed in action at the age of 20, on 24-03-1945 in Wesel, Kreis Wesel, Nordrhein-Westfalen.
In addition to the Medal of Honor, he received the Purple Heart, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the American Campaign Medal, the European/African/Middle Eastern Campaign Medal (with one campaign star), and the World War II Victory Medal. His Medal of Honor citation reads: “The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pride in presenting the Medal of Honor (Posthumously) to Private First Class Stuart S. Stryker, United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action above and beyond the call of duty on 24-03-1945, while serving with Company E, 513th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 17th Airborne Division.
Death and burial ground of Stryker, Stuart Stanton.
Private First Class Stryker was a platoon runner, when the unit assembled near Wesel, Germany after a descent east of the Rhine.
97% of Wesel was destroyed before it was finally taken by Allied troops in 1945. From almost 25,000 in 1939, the population was reduced to 1,900 by May 1945. In 1946 Wesel became part of the new state North Rhine-Westphalia of West Germany. The town was taken quickly. Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery,
commanding the Anglo-Canadian 21st Army Group
, said “the bombing of Wesel was a masterpiece, and was a decisive factor in making possible our entry into the town before midnight.”
Attacking along a railroad, Company E reached a point about 250 yards from a large building used as an enemy headquarters and manned by a powerful force of Germans with rifles, machineguns, and 4 field pieces. One platoon made a frontal assault but was pinned down by intense fire from the house after advancing only 50 yards. So badly stricken that it could not return the raking fire, the platoon was at the mercy of German machine gunners when PFC. Stryker voluntarily left a place of comparative safety, and, armed with a carbine, ran to the head of the unit. In full view of the enemy and under constant fire, he exhorted the men to get to their feet and follow him. Inspired by his fearlessness, they rushed after him in a desperate charge through an increased hail of bullets. Twenty-five yards from the objective the heroic soldier was killed by the enemy fusillades, with a shot in the stomach. His gallant and wholly voluntary action in the face of overwhelming firepower, however, so encouraged his comrades and diverted the enemy’s attention that other elements of the company were able to surround the house, capturing more than 200 hostile soldiers and much equipment, besides freeing 3 members of an American bomber crew held prisoner there. The intrepidity and unhesitating self-sacrifice of PFC. Stryker were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service.” In 2002 the US Army named its new armor fighting vehicle “Stryker” in his honor, as well as fellow US Army Vietnam War Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Robert F. Stryker.
The Stryker combat vehicle is partially named after Stuart Stryker, as well as another Medal of Honor winner, Robert F. Stryker, who was not related to Stuart.



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