Garlin Murl Conner: That Man Was Way More Badass Than You Could Ever Imagine
Categories: American Grit Stories
Those of us in the GWOT era, tend to think of ourselves as pretty badass dudes. Slayin Taliban and Al Qaeda left, right, up, down and all around. Except when it comes to the men who fought World War 2…Whenever we see an elderly man, shuffling by with a World War 2 Veteran cap on, we always have the same thought. This meek looking man probably used to slay body’s wholesale Costco style. We may or may not be accurate with that thought, but it doesn’t stop our mind from wandering. Such is the case with one Garlin Murl Conner. He did slay bodies wholesale Costco style.
So, Garlin Murl Conner was not a fan of the Nazi bullshit that was plaguing Europe. Only one problem, he’d been wounded…again, and he was in the hospital. Those assholes were keeping him from putting foot to ass on the Nazi war machine, what a travesty to not allow him to do what he did best.
So Garlin, an officer mind you, left the hospital, to get back to stomping holes in faces. How exactly would he accomplish this task? A radio, and a Thompson. He volunteered as a spotter for the kings of battle, artillery.
So being the intrepid badass he was, he ventured forth alone, until he found a good spot to see the over 600 enemy soldiers, including a bunch of real big assholes known as the SS. He stayed for hours calling down artillery on these unfortunate souls who had chosen to tangle with the 3rd Infantry Division and Lt. Garlin Murl Conner. The enemy raged on his position as the artillery fell. He stayed put.
As the artillery fell all around him, on top of him and behind him, he kept the course and steadily called in fire annihilating hundreds of enemy fighters and tanks in relatively short order.
All.
By.
Himself.
He stayed in that hole calling for fire alone and unafraid. For his actions that day he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, that was upgraded to the Medal of Honor.
Read more stories of American Grit:
MARTIN GELB: BEHIND ENEMY LINES
SAMUEL NICHOLAS: WAR FATHER
JOHN W. FINN: GUNS BLAZING
Your article states that Conner was an officer, but the photo of him shaking hands clearly shows his rank of Tech Sgt.
I love these stories but you have to do a little fact checking before publication.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garlin_Murl_Conner
He got out as a 1st Lt. Maybe you should do your fact-checking.
Yes sir, you are correct. Thank you for your comment. Murl was a wonderful man!
When he got out of the Army he was a 1st Lt. His wife is my cousin and I’m so happy that I was in DC for the awarding of the Medal of Honor to her on Murl’s behalf.