Franklin E . Sigler Private First Class Franklin Earl Sigler ( November 6 , 1924 — January 20 , 1995 ) was an American who received the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Iwo Jima campaign — a one - man assault on a Japanese gun position which had been holding up the advance of his company for several days , and for annihilating the enemy gun crew with hand grenade s . Although painfully wounded during his attack , he directed the fire of his squad and personally carried three of his buddies who were wounded to safety behind the lines . The nation ' s highest military decoration was presented to PFC Sigler during ceremonies at the White House . U . S . President Harry S . Truman awarded the medal to him on October 5 , 1945 . Early life and education . Sigler was born November 6 , 1924 , in Montclair , New Jersey . His parents had another son named William in 1921 and sometime between Franklin ' s birth and April 2 , 1930 , the family moved to Little Falls , New Jersey where he attended Little Falls High School prior to his enlistment in the United States Marine Corps . Military career . On March 23 , 1943 , he joined the Marines and was sent to recruit training at Parris Island , South Carolina . Upon graduating was sent to the Guard Company , Marine Barracks , Navy Yard in Charleston , South Carolina , in June 1943 . In April 1944 , he joined Company F , 2nd Battalion , 26th Marine Regiment , 5th Marine Division , and in July , embarked aboard the for Hilo , Hawaii . Sigler and his unit were only in Hawaii for a short time before they were sent to the south Pacific to participate in the Battle of Iwo Jima . The unit saw heavy combat on the Japan ese island of Iwo Jima in the Volcano Islands and Sigler ' s squad leaders were injured in the fighting . He took command of his squad and lead them against a Japanese gun position that had been holding up the advance of his company for several days . He was the first to reach the gun position and personally annihilated the gun crew with grenade s . When the Japanese began firing from tunnels and caves leading to the gun position , he scaled the rocks leading up to the position and single - handedly assaulted them , completely surprising them . Although wounded , he refused to be evacuated and , crawling back to his squad , directed machine - gun and rocket fire on the cave entrances . In the ensuing fight three of his men were wounded and Sigler , disregarding the pain from his wound and the heavy enemy fire , carried them to safety behind the lines . Returning to his squad he remained with his men directing their fire until ordered to retire and seek medical aid . For his actions during this battle he received the Medal of Honor , the U . S . military ' s highest decoration for bravery in action . The medal was presented to him by President Truman at a White House ceremony October 5 , 1945 . Post - war and military discharge . After his return to the U . S . , he was hospitalized at the U . S . Naval Hospital in Bethesda , Maryland . Because of disabilities from the wounds he received in the battle he was discharged from the Marine Corps at the rank of private first class in June 1946 . Death . He died January 20 , 1995 , at age 70 , and was buried with full military honors in section 12 , lot 2799 at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington , Virginia . He is buried a few yards from his brother , PFC William C . Sigler ( 1921 – 1943 ) who was killed in a traffic accident while on leave in New Zealand . Awards and honors . Medal of Honor citation . " The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR to PRIVATE FRANKLIN E . SIGLER UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS RESERVE for service as set forth in the following CITATION :