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| PERSONALIA |
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| Name: |
Dunham, Russell E. |
| Date of birth: | February 23rd, 1920 (East Carondelet/Illinois, United States)
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| Date of death: |
April 6th, 2009 (Godfrey/Illinois, United States)
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| Nationality: |
American |
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MEDAL OF HONOR - ARMY (MOH)
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Rank:
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Technical Sergeant
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Unit:
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Company I, 30th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division "Rock Of The Marne", U.S. Army
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Awarded on:
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May 11th, 1945
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Action:
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Rank and organization: Technical Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company I, 30th Infantry, 3rd Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Kayserberg, France, 8 January 1945. Entered service at: Brighton Ill. Born: 23 February 1920, East Carondelet, Ill. G.O. No.: 37, 11 May 1945.
Citation:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty. At about 1430 hours on 8 January 1945, during an attack on Hill 616, near Kayserberg, France, T/Sgt. Dunham single-handedly assaulted 3 enemy machineguns. Wearing a white robe made of a mattress cover, carrying 12 carbine magazines and with a dozen hand grenades snagged in his belt, suspenders, and buttonholes, T/Sgt. Dunham advanced in the attack up a snow-covered hill under fire from 2 machineguns and supporting riflemen. His platoon 35 yards behind him, T/Sgt. Dunham crawled 75 yards under heavy direct fire toward the timbered emplacement shielding the left machinegun. As he jumped to his feet 10 yards from the gun and charged forward, machinegun fire tore through his camouflage robe and a rifle bullet seared a 10-inch gash across his back sending him spinning 15 yards down hill into the snow. When the indomitable sergeant sprang to his feet to renew his 1-man assault, a German egg grenade landed beside him. He kicked it aside, and as it exploded 5 yards away, shot and killed the German machinegunner and assistant gunner. His carbine empty, he jumped into the emplacement and hauled out the third member of the gun crew by the collar. Although his back wound was causing him excruciating pain and blood was seeping through his white coat, T/Sgt. Dunham proceeded 50 yards through a storm of automatic and rifle fire to attack the second machinegun. Twenty-five yards from the emplacement he hurled 2 grenades, destroying the gun and its crew; then fired down into the supporting foxholes with his carbine dispatching and dispersing the enemy riflemen. Although his coat was so thoroughly blood-soaked that he was a conspicuous target against the white landscape, T/Sgt. Dunham again advanced ahead of his platoon in an assault on enemy positions farther up the hill. Coming under machinegun fire from 65 yards to his front, while rifle grenades exploded 10 yards from his position, he hit the ground and crawled forward. At 15 yards range, he jumped to his feet, staggered a few paces toward the timbered machinegun emplacement and killed the crew with hand grenades. An enemy rifleman fired at pointblank range, but missed him. After killing the rifleman, T/Sgt. Dunham drove others from their foxholes with grenades and carbine fire. Killing 9 Germans--wounding 7 and capturing 2--firing about 175 rounds of carbine ammunition, and expending 11 grenades, T/Sgt. Dunham, despite a painful wound, spearheaded a spectacular and successful diversionary attack.
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SILVER STAR
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Rank:
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Staff Sergeant
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Unit:
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Company I, 30th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division "Rock Of The Marne", U.S. Army
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Action:
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For action performed in Italy on 2 June 1944.
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BRONZE STAR (BSM)
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Rank:
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Technical Sergeant
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Unit:
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Company I, 30th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division "Rock Of The Marne", U.S. Army
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Action:
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For action performed on 17 December 1944, near Kaysersberg/Haut-Rhin department, region Alsace, France.
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Details:
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Citation unavailable.
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BRONZE STAR (BSM)
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Unit:
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Company I, 30th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division "Rock Of The Marne", U.S. Army
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Details:
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This award was obtained in the form of an Oak Leave to be attached on the ribbon of the first award.
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PURPLE HEART
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Unit:
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Company I, 30th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division "Rock Of The Marne", U.S. Army
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Provide alterations or additional information |
| Picture source: |
- Home of Heroes |
| Information source(s): |
- Jordan, Kenneth N., Yesterday’s Heroes – 433 men of World War II awarded the Medal of Honor 1941-1945, Schiffer Publishing Ltd., USA, 1996
- Taggart, D.G., History of the Third Infantry Division in World War II, The Battery Press, Nashville, USA, 1987
- Wikipedia.org
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