And, what a story!!! I was just going to mention it, but the story was just too interesting not to tell.
RUSSELL DUNHAM, 89
World War II Medal of Honor Winner
Russell Dunham died in Godfrey, Illinois. On January 8, 1945, he single-handedly assaulted three German machine gun emplacements, knocked them out, killed 9 German soldiers and took two prisoners.
At the time, he was a Tech Sergeant in the 3rd Infantry Division and was facing the Germans at Kayserberg, France on the German/French border. His unit was issued mattress covers for camouflage in the snow.
Pinned down by machine gun fire, he scrambled 75 yards up a hill, used a grenade to take out the first emplacement, where he was wounded in the back. A German grenade landed near him and he kicked it away. He then crawled to the second machine gun and threw another grenade, killing two more Germans. By now, his gun was empty and he jumped into the nest and grabbed a third German by the collar and forced him to surrender.
In pain and with the white mattress now stained red with his blood, he ran 50 yards more to a third emplacement and also took it out with a grenade and chased the retreating soldiers.
His brother Ralph was in the same unit and he took out a fourth machine gun nest. A German rifleman shot at him point blank, but missed and Ralph killed him.
NOT OVER YET
After treatment for his wound, Russell Dunham returned to the front and on Jan. 22nd, his unit was surrounded by German tanks and troops at Holtzwihr, France and most were forced to surrender. Russell hid in a sauerkraut barrel (you just have to wonder about the smell), but was found. Two German soldiers patted him down, but got distracted when they found a pack of cigarettes and started arguing over who would get it. They didn't find his pistol in a shoulder holster under his arm.
Later that day, while transporting him back to German lines, the driver stopped at a bar and the second soldier was not paying attention to Dunham who shot him in the head, and set off to Allied lines in subzero temperatures. His ears and feet were frostbitten when he arrived and he almost lost his feet, but a medic's efforts saved them.
Quite a Story from This Fine Person from the Greatest Generation. This Could Be a Great Movie.
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