C006131

Round shaped coin, copper in color, 2 1/2 inches in diameter.

307th Infantry Regiment

The 307th Infantry Regiment was a National Army unit first organized for service in World War I as part of the 77th Infantry Division in Europe. It later served in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Since then it has served as a training Regiment. In 1999, it was withdrawn from the Combat Arms Regimental System and redesignated as a non-branch regiment. The regiment's 1st Battalion is assigned to the 174th Infantry Brigade at Fort Dix New Jersey.

The two soldiers listed on the front of the coin were both members of the 307th Infantry Division who were awarded the Medal of Honor for their actions during the Second World War. PFC Desmond T. Doss was a conscientious objector who joined the army as a medic and was awarded two Bronze Star Medals for Valor and the Medal of Honor for his actions in Guam, Leyte, and Okinawa. PFC Martin O. May was a machine Gunner who engaged the enemy for three days with accurate bursts of fire from an exposed location atop a ridge on an island near Okinawa. When his weapon was rendered useless by the burst of a mortar shell, he proceeded to lob grenades at the enemy forces. Although he was eventually mortally wounded, his courage under fire, and his resolve to hold the line inspired his brother in arms to turn the tide of the battle and ultimately win the day.