BARRON COUNTY — Eric G. Gibson was Technician 5th Grade Cook in Company I, 30 Regiment, 3rd Division, in the United States Army. Gibson was the only cook to receive a Medal of Honor in WWII.
To put that in perspective, according to The National WWII Museum 473 Medals of Honor (MoH) were awarded for WWII service; of those MoH Awards, only four went to Technician 5th Grade soldiers. This rank was essentially a Corporal without Command authority – specialist role. Other T/5 recipients were medics, radio operators, or technical specialists but none are listed as cooks.
His parents -- Eric Sr. and Agda -- moved to Rice Lake in the early years of World War II, while Gibson was serving in Europe. Although Gibson never lived in Rice Lake, his father requested that his remains be transported to Rice Lake, Wisconsin.
He is buried in the 4th row along the highway in Nora Cemetery, with his parents buried right behind him; Agda having died in 1946 and Eric Sr. in 1948, shortly after Eric Jr. was re-interred at Nora Cemetery.
Although he began his service stationed as an ordinary cook, Gibson’s contributions to the war went far beyond this role. On January 28th, 1944, near Isola Bella, Italy, Eric Gibson was awarded the Medal of Honor, “For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty."
What happened in this battle?
After the majority of his regiment tragically died, Gibson found himself as the leader of a squad of replacement soldiers. Gibson quickly and fully stepped into his newfound position, by placing himself 50 yards ahead of his men, and heroically led his squad, killing 5 German soldiers, while capturing 2 others.
Gibson narrowly escaped death numerous times, but instead of backing down, he charged toward the enemy, personally killing and capturing several additional Germans. According to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, “Gibson immediately raced toward the foe. Halfway to the position a machine gun opened fire on him. Bullets came within inches of his body, yet Gibson never paused in his forward movement.”
After tearing away from the group to survey the land, and, “Despite all warnings, Gibson crawled 125 yards through an artillery concentration and the crossfire of two machine guns which showered dirt over his body, threw two hand grenades into the emplacement, and charged it with his submachine gun, killing two of the enemy and capturing a third.” Gibson then was able to take down one last enemy soldier, but he was shot and killed in this encounter.
Nevertheless, his memory will not be forgotten. His actions during this battle went above and beyond the call of duty, showing his powerful leadership, courage, heroism, and initiative. Gibson was a fearless and determined hero who prioritized the objective over his own safety. For this reason, T/5 Eric G. Gibson was posthumously bestowed the Medal of Honor in September of 1944, making him the only cook in World War II to receive this merit.
Rice Lake is honored for Nora Cemetery – with its Northwoods white pine forest – as his final resting place. Eric G. Gibson is an example of true heroism and an inspiring reminder that bravery can appear from any station.
— Written by; Eva Schradle and Izzy Haughian, 10th graders at Rice Lake High School.
Last Update: Nov 05, 2025 11:31 am CST
