Melvin E . Biddle Melvin Earl " Bud " Biddle ( November 28 , 1923 – December 16 , 2010 ) was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military ' s highest decoration — the Medal of Honor — for his actions in World War II . Early life . Biddle was born on November 28 , 1923 , in Daleville , Indiana , to Owen J . and Blanche Olive ( Bowen ) Biddle . He had two brothers , Ralph and Lee , and three sisters , Marie , Carolyn , and Eileen . A lifelong resident of the area , Biddle attended elementary school in Daleville and graduated from Anderson High School in nearby Anderson , Indiana . He worked for Delco Remy in Anderson until being drafted into the U . S . Army in January 1943 . Military service . By December 23 , 1944 , Biddle was serving in Europe as a private first class in Company B of the 1st Battalion , 517th Parachute Infantry Regiment . On that day and the following day during the Battle of the Bulge , near Soy , Belgium ( now a deelgemeente of Érezée ) , he reconnoitered the German lines alone , killed three enemy sniper s , and silenced four hostile machine gun emplacements . A week later , he was wounded in the neck by shrapnel which just missed his jugular vein . After recovering in England for several weeks , he headed back to his unit and on the way learned through an article in " Stars and Stripes " that he would be awarded the Medal of Honor . For his actions during the battle near Soy , Biddle was awarded the Medal of Honor at the White House on October 30 , 1945 , by President Harry Truman . When presenting the medal to Biddle , Truman whispered " People don ' t believe me when I tell them that I ' d rather have one of these than be President . " Biddle was later promoted to corporal . In addition to the Medal of Honor , he also received the Bronze Star and Purple Heart . Later years and personal life . On December 1 , 1946 , Biddle married his childhood sweetheart , Leona Elsie Allen . The couple had two daughters , Elissa and Marsha . After leaving the military , Biddle returned to Indiana and worked for the Department of Veterans Affairs . He helped distribute loans and benefits to veterans for 26 years until his retirement . He also served on the Anderson City Council . Biddle rarely spoke of his Medal of Honor action . He gave occasional interviews and appeared at events honoring veterans but preferred to lead a more private life . He was an avid golfer and a member of the local Veterans of Foreign Wars post . Biddle died of congestive heart failure on December 16 , 2010 , at Saint John ' s Medical Center in Anderson following a sudden illness . Aged 87 at his death , he was buried in Anderson ' s Memorial Park Cemetery on December 20 . In deference to his family ' s beliefs as Jehovah ' s Witnesses , Biddle requested that his funeral be free of military observances . His death date was the 66th anniversary of the start of the Battle of the Bulge , in which he earned the Medal of Honor , and he was Indiana ' s last surviving Medal of Honor recipient from World War II . Medal of Honor citation . Biddle ' s official Medal of Honor citation reads : He displayed conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy near Soy , Belgium , on 23 and 24 December 1944 . Serving as lead scout during an attack to relieve the enemy - encircled town of Hotton , he aggressively penetrated a densely wooded area , advanced 400 yards until he came within range of intense enemy rifle fire , and within 20 yards of enemy positions killed 3 snipers with unerring marksmanship . Courageously continuing his advance an additional 200 yards , he discovered a hostile machine - gun position and dispatched its 2 occupants . He then located the approximate position of a well - concealed enemy machine - gun nest , and crawling forward threw hand grenade s which killed two Germans and fatally wounded a third . After signaling his company to advance , he entered a determined line of enemy defense , coolly and deliberately shifted his position , and shot 3 more enemy soldiers . Undaunted by enemy fire , he crawled within 20 yards of a machine - gun nest , tossed his last hand grenade into the position , and after the explosion charged the emplacement firing his rifle . When night fell , he scouted enemy positions alone for several hours and returned with valuable information which enabled our attacking infantry and armor to knock out 2 enemy tanks . At daybreak he again led the advance and , when flanking elements were pinned down by enemy fire , without hesitation made his way toward a hostile machine - gun position and from a distance of 50 yards killed the crew and 2 supporting riflemen . The remainder of the enemy , finding themselves without automatic weapon support , fled panic stricken . Pfc . Biddle ' s intrepid courage and superb daring during his 20 - hour action enabled his battalion to break the enemy grasp on Hotton with a minimum of casualties .