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d o g f a c e  s o l d i e r   V I P s

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surf section : Jacob Devers || Alexander Patch
Mark W. Clark || Lucian K. Truscott Jr.
Edward H. Brooks || John W. O'Daniel
John E. Dahlquist || William W. Eagles
Jean de Lattre || Sir Harold Alexander
George C. Marshall || Audie L. Murphy
Keith L. Ware || Lucian Adams
Russell E. Dunham || WILBURN K. ROSS
John J. Tominac || James P. Connor
David C. Waybur || Otto Skorzeny
Hiroshi Oshima
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Wilburn K. Ross - 3rd Infantry Division - Medal of Honor WWII
 
 

medal of honor


Wilburn K. Ross

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WILBURN K. ROSS (1922-2017)
served with the 2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment and was from Strunk, Kentucky. He was rewarded the Medal of Honor and Bronze Star in WWII. After WWII, he worked briefly for the government and then reenlisted and was deployed to Korea where he was injured after nine days in combat. he retired from the army in 1964 asa master Sergeant. A section of Route 27 running through McCreary County, Kentucky is named for Ross. Ross is also featured as one of the Medal of Honor recipients on the 12-stamp commemorative set issued by the U.S. Postal Service on Veteran's Day, November 11, 2013.

He was awarded the Medal of Honor for action on October 30, 1944 near St. Jacques, France and it was presented to him in Nuremberg at the Zepplinfeld Stadium on April 22, 1945.

MEDAL OF HONOR CITATION:

The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Private Wilburn Kirby Ross, United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with Company G, 2d Battalion, 30th Infantry, 3d Infantry Division, in action near St. Jacques, France. At 11:30 a.m. on 30 October 1944, after his company had lost 55 out of 88 men in an attack on an entrenched, full-strength German company of elite mountain troops, Private Ross placed his light machinegun ten yards in advance of the foremost supporting riflemen in order to absorb the initial impact of an enemy counterattack. With machinegun and small-arms fire striking the earth near him, he fired with deadly effect on the assaulting force and repelled it. Despite the hail of automatic fire and the explosion of rifle grenades within a stone’s throw of his position, he continued to man his machine gun alone, holding off six more German attacks. When the eighth assault was launched, most of his supporting riflemen were out of ammunition. They took positions in echelon behind Private Ross and crawled up, during the attack, to extract a few rounds of ammunition from his machinegun ammunition belt. Private Ross fought on virtually without assistance and, despite the fact that enemy grenadiers crawled to within four yards of his position in an effort to kill him with hand grenades, he again directed accurate and deadly fire on the hostile force and hurled it back. After expending his last rounds, Private Ross was advised to withdraw to the company command post, together with eight surviving riflemen, but, as more ammunition was expected, he declined to do so. The Germans launched their last all-out attack, converging their fire on Private Ross in a desperate attempt to destroy the machinegun which stood between them and a decisive breakthrough. As his supporting riflemen fixed bayonets for a last-ditch stand, fresh ammunition arrived and was brought to Private Ross just as the advance assault elements were about to swarm over his position. He opened murderous fire on the oncoming enemy; killed 40 and wounded ten of the attacking force; broke the assault single-handedly, and forced the Germans to withdraw. Having killed or wounded at least 58 Germans in more than five hours of continuous combat and saved the remnants of his company from destruction, Private Ross remained at his post that night and the following day for a total of 36 hours. His actions throughout this engagement were an inspiration to his comrades and maintained the high traditions of the military service.

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