William A . Soderman William Adolph Soderman ( March 20 , 1912 – October 20 , 1980 ) was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military ' s highest decoration — the Medal of Honor — for his actions during the Battle of the Bulge in World War II . Biography . Soderman joined the Army from his birth city of West Haven , Connecticut in August 1943 , and by December 17 , 1944 was serving as a private first class in Company K , 9th Infantry Regiment , 2nd Infantry Division . On that day , near Rocherath , Belgium , Soderman used his bazooka to single - handedly disable three German tanks and attack an infantry platoon . Although seriously wounded , he survived the battle and was awarded the Medal of Honor eleven months later , on November 1 , 1945 . Soderman left the Army while still a private first class . He married the late Virginia Rae Leake and had two children , Peter William Soderman , currently a resident of Mexico , and the late Susan Louise Soderman . He was proud of a long career working at the VA hospital in West Haven . He died at age 68 and was buried at Oak Grove Cemetery in his hometown of West Haven , Connecticut . Medal of Honor citation . Private First Class Soderman ' s official Medal of Honor citation reads : Armed with a bazooka , he defended a key road junction near Rocherath , Belgium , on 17 December 1944 , during the German Ardennes counteroffensive . After a heavy artillery barrage had wounded and forced the withdrawal of his assistant , he heard enemy tanks approaching the position where he calmly waited in the gathering darkness of early evening until the 5 Mark V tanks which made up the hostile force were within pointblank range . He then stood up , completely disregarding the firepower that could be brought to bear upon him , and launched a rocket into the lead tank , setting it afire and forcing its crew to abandon it as the other tanks pressed on before Pfc . Soderman could reload . The daring bazookaman remained at his post all night under severe artillery , mortar , and machinegun fire , awaiting the next onslaught , which was made shortly after dawn by 5 more tanks . Running along a ditch to meet them , he reached an advantageous point and there leaped to the road in full view of the tank gunners , deliberately aimed his weapon and disabled the lead tank . The other vehicles , thwarted by a deep ditch in their attempt to go around the crippled machine , withdrew . While returning to his post Pfc . Soderman , braving heavy fire to attack an enemy infantry platoon from close range , killed at least 3 Germans and wounded several others with a round from his bazooka . By this time , enemy pressure had made Company K ' s position untenable . Orders were issued for withdrawal to an assembly area , where Pfc . Soderman was located when he once more heard enemy tanks approaching . Knowing that elements of the company had not completed their disengaging maneuver and were consequently extremely vulnerable to an armored attack , he hurried from his comparatively safe position to meet the tanks . Once more he disabled the lead tank with a single rocket , his last ; but before he could reach cover , machinegun bullets from the tank ripped into his right shoulder . Unarmed and seriously wounded he dragged himself along a ditch to the American lines and was evacuated . Through his unfaltering courage against overwhelming odds , Pfc . Soderman contributed in great measure to the defense of Rocherath , exhibiting to a superlative degree the intrepidity and heroism with which American soldiers met and smashed the savage power of the last great German offensive .