Edward C . Dahlgren Edward Carl Dahlgren ( March 14 , 1916 – May 31 , 2006 ) 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 . Biography . Dahlgren joined the Army from Portland , Maine in March 1943 , and by February 11 , 1945 was serving as a Sergeant in Company E , 142nd Infantry Regiment , 36th Infantry Division . On that day , at Oberhoffen , France , he repeatedly attacked German positions alone and captured many prisoners . He was subsequently promoted to second lieutenant and , on September 10 , 1945 , awarded the Medal of Honor . Dahlgren left the Army while still a second lieutenant . He died at age 90 and was buried in Pierce Cemetery , Mars Hill , Maine . Medal of Honor citation . Dahlgren ' s official Medal of Honor citation reads : He led the 3d Platoon to the rescue of a similar unit which had been surrounded in an enemy counterattack at Oberhoffen , France . As he advanced along a street , he observed several Germans crossing a field about 100 yards away . Running into a barn , he took up a position in a window and swept the hostile troops with submachine gun fire , killing 6 , wounding others , and completely disorganizing the group . His platoon then moved forward through intermittent sniper fire and made contact with the besieged Americans . When the 2 platoons had been reorganized , Sgt . Dahlgren continued to advance along the street until he drew fire from an enemy - held house . In the face of machine pistol and rifle fire , he ran toward the building , hurled a grenade through the door , and blasted his way inside with his gun . This aggressive attack so rattled the Germans that all 8 men who held the strongpoint immediately surrendered . As Sgt . Dahlgren started toward the next house , hostile machinegun fire drove him to cover . He secured rifle grenade s , stepped to an exposed position , and calmly launched his missiles from a difficult angle until he had destroyed the machinegun and killed its 2 operators . He moved to the rear of the house and suddenly came under the fire of a machinegun emplaced in a barn . Throwing a grenade into the structure , he rushed the position , firing his weapon as he ran ; within , he overwhelmed 5 Germans . After reorganizing his unit he advanced to clear hostile riflemen from the building where he had destroyed the machinegun . He entered the house by a window and trapped the Germans in the cellar , where he tossed grenades into their midst , wounding several and forcing 10 more to surrender . While reconnoitering another street with a comrade , he heard German voices in a house . An attack with rifle grenades drove the hostile troops to the cellar . Sgt . Dahlgren entered the building , kicked open the cellar door , and , firing several bursts down the stairway , called for the trapped enemy to surrender . Sixteen soldiers filed out with their hands in the air . The bold leadership and magnificent courage displayed by Sgt . Dahlgren in his heroic attacks were in a large measure responsible for repulsing an enemy counterattack and saving an American platoon from great danger .