US Army Ranger Sergeant Franklin Koons posing for photographers immediately following being presented with Great Britain’s Military Medal by Vice Admiral Louis Mountbatten, Casablanca, French Morocco, 18 Jan 1943

Caption     US Army Ranger Sergeant Franklin Koons posing for photographers immediately following being presented with Great Britain’s Military Medal by Vice Admiral Louis Mountbatten, Casablanca, French Morocco, 18 Jan 1943 ww2dbase
Photographer    Unknown
Source    ww2dbaseUnited States Army Signal Corps
Identification Code   Library of Congress 2009632306
More on...   
Attack on Dieppe   Main article  Photos  
Photo Size 4,500 x 5,530 pixels
Photos on Same Day 18 Jan 1943
Photos at Same Place Casablanca, French Morocco
Added By David Stubblebine
Licensing  Public Domain. According to the United States copyright law (United States Code, Title 17, Chapter 1, Section 105), in part, "[c]opyright protection under this title is not available for any work of the United States Government".

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Colorized By WW2DB     Colorized with Adobe Photoshop



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Visitor Submitted Comments

1. Commenter identity confirmed David Stubblebine says:
10 Sep 2015 05:06:23 PM

The medal was awarded for Sgt Koons’ courageous actions as one of 50 US Rangers who participated in the Attack on Dieppe, France in Aug 1942
2. Commenter identity confirmed Alan Chanter says:
3 Feb 2016 08:06:30 AM

Only half a dozen US Rangers got ashore at Quiberville beach. Two sergeants and Corporal F. Koons gained entry to houses and climbed on to rooftops overlooking the Hess battery. However things did not quite go as they planned. Hampered by enemy Fw.190s some RAF cannon fighter blasted the Rangers off their rooftops with near misses and before they knew what had happened the two Sergeants and Cpl Koons found themselves uninjured but back on the ground. The Corporal was the first recover and, roused to a high pitch of inspiration by this event, the three Americans regained the roof where they began to pour fire into the heart of the battery. It is thought that Corporal Koons then became the first US soldier to kill a German soldier in World War II when one of his shots toppled a gunner attempting to man one of the 15cm coastal guns.

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Modern Day Location
WW2-Era Place Name Casablanca, French Morocco
Lat/Long 33.5569, -7.6606
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"With Germany arming at breakneck speed, England lost in a pacifist dream, France corrupt and torn by dissension, America remote and indifferent... do you not tremble for your children?"

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