Gino J . Merli Gino Joseph Merli ( May 13 , 1924 – June 11 , 2002 ) was an American soldier , and recipient of the Medal of Honor during World War II . Biography . Born in Scranton , Pennsylvania , Merli was the son of a coal miner . He entered service in the United States Army from Peckville in July 1943 and served with the 2nd Battalion , 18th Infantry Regiment , 1st Infantry Division . With his division , he went ashore at Omaha Beach on D - Day in 1944 and participated in the Battle of the Bulge in December of the same year . On the evening of September 4 , 1944 , near Sars - la - Bruyère in Belgium ( now a deelgemeente of Frameries ) , his company was attacked by a superior German force . Their position was overwhelmed , but PFC Merli stayed with his machine gun covering their retreat . When his position was overrun , he feigned death while German soldiers prodded him with their bayonets , only to rise and confront the enemy when they withdrew . Twice he fooled German soldiers into believing he was no longer a threat , only to attack them again when they left him for dead . In the morning , a counterattack forced the Germans to ask for a truce . The negotiating party found Merli still at his gun . For his heroism , PFC Gino Merli received the Medal of Honor from President Truman on June 15 , 1945 . In addition , he received two Purple Heart s , the Bronze Star , the Battle of the Bulge Medal , and the Humanitarian Award of the Chapel of Four Chaplains for his actions during World War II . In civilian life , Merli took it upon himself to serve fellow veterans . He was an adjudication officer for the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Plains Township , Pennsylvania . He traveled to the Normandy beaches in 1984 in the company of Tom Brokaw and was a source of inspiration for Brokaw ' s book " The Greatest Generation " . Namesakes and honors . The Veterans ' Center in Scranton was named for Gino Merli in 2002 . Merli - Sarnoski State Park , located in Fell Township ( just outside of Carbondale , Pennsylvania ) , is co - named for Mr . Merli and Joseph Sarnoski , another World War II Medal of Honor recipient and Lackawanna County resident . Gino Merli Drive ( one of the main roads ) in Peckville , Pennsylvania is also named for him . Medal of Honor citation . Rank and organization : Private First Class , U . S . Army , 18th Infantry , 1st Infantry Division . Place and date : Near Sars la Bruyere , Belgium , 4 September 1944 . Entered service at : Peckville , Pa . Birth : Scranton , Pa . G . O . No . : 64 , 4 August 1945 . Citation : He was serving as a machine gunner in the vicinity of Sars la Bruyere , Belgium , on the night of 4 September 1944 , when his company was attacked by a superior German force . Its position was overrun and he was surrounded when our troops were driven back by overwhelming numbers and firepower . Disregarding the fury of the enemy fire concentrated on him he maintained his position , covering the withdrawal of our riflemen and breaking the force of the enemy pressure . His assistant machine gunner was killed and the position captured ; the other 8 members of the section were forced to surrender . Pfc . Merli slumped down beside the dead assistant gunner and feigned death . No sooner had the enemy group withdrawn then he was up and firing in all directions . Once more his position was taken and the captors found 2 apparently lifeless bodies . Throughout the night Pfc . Merli stayed at his weapon . By daybreak the enemy had suffered heavy losses , and as our troops launched an assault , asked for a truce . Our negotiating party , who accepted the German surrender , found Pfc . Merli still at his gun . On the battlefield lay 52 enemy dead , 19 of whom were directly in front of the gun . Pfc . Merli ' s gallantry and courage , and the losses and confusion that he caused the enemy , contributed materially to our victory .