On that day, during combat in Manila, capital of the Philippines, Viale smothered the blast of an accidentally dropped hand grenade with his body, sacrificing himself to protect the soldiers and civilians around him.

Second Lieutenant Viale's official Medal of Honor citation reads: He displayed conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty.

Blocked from the only escape route by an enemy machinegun placed at a street corner, he entered a nearby building with his men to explore possible means of reducing the emplacement.

Because of the relative positions of the window, ladder, and enemy emplacement, he decided that he, being left-handed, could better hurl a grenade than 1 of his men who had made an unsuccessful attempt.

Finding no way to get rid of the grenade without exposing his own men or the civilians to injury or death, he turned to the wall, held it close to his body and bent over it as it exploded.