STAFF SERGEANT HARRISON M. GARDLER, for extraordinary heroism during the invasion of North Africa on 8 November 1942. On that date, Sergeant Gardler, then a member of 1st Battalion Headquarters, 47th Infantry, perceived that the men of the heavy weapons company were exhausted by their run across the beach through a deep soft sand and were pinned down by the fire of enemy machine guns and snipers from the cliffs commandign Blue Beach, at the harbor of Safi, French Morocco. Staff Sergeant Gardler voluntarily left a place of safety and exposed himself to this fire to assist the Battalion Commander in directing them to their objective. Later the same day, Staff Sergeant Gardler, under the fire of enemy machine guns and snipers, voluntarily crossed open terrain to capture a sniper located beside the wall of a house overlooking the draw along which our troops were advancing. This action resulted in our troops being able to advance with greater safety. Following this action, Staff Sergeant Gardler, under constant fire, led four soldiers in an attack on the Signal Headquarters. The success of this attack resulted in the wounding of two men, the capture of a Marine Commandant, three other officers, twenty men, and huge quantities of rifles, pistols, machine guns, automatic rifles, and ammunition. Directly following this action Sergeant Gardler voluntarily led three men against enemy snipers located in the concrete control room of 75 mm battery commanding Blue Beach. The volume of accuracy of fire delivered by them resulted in the wounding of one man, and teh surrender of an officer and twelve soldiers, the capture of the 75 mm battery, large stocks of ammunition, rifles, automatic rifles, grenades, and revolvers. On a fifth ocassion, later the same day, Staff Sergeant Gardler, with another soldier, brought about the surrender of a sniper and the capture of rifles and ammunition.

SSG. Gardler joined the Legion of Valor in 1974.