Russell E . Dunham Russell Dunham ( February 23 , 1920 – April 6 , 2009 ) was an American World War II veteran and recipient of the Medal of Honor . On January 8 , 1945 , as a member of Company I , 30th Infantry , 3d Infantry Division , Dunham eliminated three German machine gun nests despite being injured himself . Early life . Dunham and his brother Ralph , who also joined the United States Army , grew up on a farm in Fosterburg , Illinois . He joined the Army from Brighton , Illinois in August 1940 . Combat action on January 8 , 1945 . Dunham was a platoon leader in his unit . Dunham ' s unit became pinned down at the base of snow - covered Hill 616 , a steep hill in Alsace - Lorraine near Kaysersberg , France on January 8 , 1945 . With machine gun fire coming down the hill in front of their unit , and a heavy artillery barrage landing behind them , Dunham decided " the only way to go was up " . Using a white mattress cover as a camouflage aid against the backdrop of the snow , Dunham began moving up the hill . He carried with him a dozen hand grenades and a dozen magazines for his M1 Carbine . Dunham began crawling more than to the first machine gun nest under fire from two machine guns and supporting riflemen . When from the nest , he jumped up to assault the nest and was hit by a bullet which caused him to tumble downhill . He got back up and charged the nest firing his carbine as he went , and kicked aside an egg grenade that had landed at his feet . Prior to reaching the nest , he tossed a hand grenade into the nest . When he got to the nest , he killed the machine gunner and his assistant . His carbine then jammed , and he jumped into the machine gun emplacement . He threw a third German in the nest down the hill who was later captured by his unit . With his carbine jammed , he picked up another carbine from a wounded soldier and advanced on the second nest , away . As he came within of the nest , he lobbed two hand grenades into the nest , wiping it out . He followed this up by firing down fox holes used in support of the nest . He then began his slow advance on the third nest , up the hill . He made his advance on the third nest under heavy automatic fire and grenades . As he came within of the nest , he tossed more grenades and wiped out the last nest , barely being missed at point blank range by a German rifleman . During the action , Dunham killed nine Germans , wounded seven and captured two on his own . Nearly 30 other Germans were captured as a result of his actions . When Dunham was presented with the Medal of Honor , General Alexander Patch said as he placed the award around Dunham ' s neck that his actions in single - handedly destroying the machine gun nests saved the lives of 120 U . S . soldiers who had been pinned down . For his injuries on that day , Dunham also received the Purple Heart . Shrapnel from his injuries remained in his body for the rest of his life , and Dunham was quoted as saying " The shrapnel in my leg is a reminder of the war we fought . " Return to the front . Dunham returned to the front before his wounds healed . On January 22 his battalion was surrounded by tanks , forcing most of the men to surrender . The following morning , two German soldiers discovered Dunham hiding in a sauerkraut barrel outside a barn . When their search of his pockets turned up a pack of cigarettes , they fought over it , overlooking his pistol in a shoulder holster . Later that day as he was being transported toward German lines , the driver stopped in a bar , giving Dunham the opportunity to shoot his other captor in the head and set off toward the American lines . Dunham suffered severe frostbite while completing his escape . Medal of Honor citation . Rank : Technical Sergeant , U . S . Army Organization : Company I , 30th Infantry , 3d Infantry Division . Place : Near Kaysersberg , France , Date : 8 January 1945 . Entered service at : Brighton , Illinois Order : G . O . No . : 37 , 11 May 1945 . Citation : For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty . At about 1430 hours on 8 January 1945 , during an attack on Hill 616 , near Kayserberg , France , T / Sgt . Dunham single - handedly assaulted 3 enemy machine guns . Wearing a white robe made of a mattress cover , carrying 12 carbine magazines and with a dozen hand grenades snagged in his belt , suspenders , and buttonholes , T / Sgt . Dunham advanced in the attack up a snow - covered hill under fire from 2 machine guns and supporting riflemen . His platoon 35 yards behind him , T / Sgt . Dunham crawled 75 yards under heavy direct fire toward the timbered emplacement shielding the left machine gun . As he jumped to his feet 10 yards from the gun and charged forward , machine gun fire tore through his camouflage robe and a rifle bullet seared a 10 - inch gash across his back sending him spinning 15 yards down hill into the snow . When the indomitable sergeant sprang to his feet to renew his 1 - man assault , a German egg grenade landed beside him . He kicked it aside , and as it exploded 5 yards away , shot and killed the German machine gunner and assistant gunner . His carbine empty , he jumped into the emplacement and hauled out the third member of the gun crew by the collar . Although his back wound was causing him excruciating pain and blood was seeping through his white coat , T / Sgt . Dunham proceeded 50 yards through a storm of automatic and rifle fire to attack the second machine gun . Twenty - five yards from the emplacement he hurled 2 grenades , destroying the gun and its crew ; then fired down into the supporting foxholes with his carbine dispatching and dispersing the enemy riflemen . Although his coat was so thoroughly blood - soaked that he was a conspicuous target against the white landscape , T / Sgt . Dunham again advanced ahead of his platoon in an assault on enemy positions farther up the hill . Coming under machinegun fire from 65 yards to his front , while rifle grenades exploded 10 yards from his position , he hit the ground and crawled forward . At 15 yards range , he jumped to his feet , staggered a few paces toward the timbered machinegun emplacement and killed the crew with hand grenades . An enemy rifleman fired at pointblank range , but missed him . After killing the rifleman , T / Sgt . Dunham drove others from their foxholes with grenades and carbine fire . Killing 9 Germans — wounding 7 and capturing 2 — firing about 175 rounds of carbine ammunition , and expending 11 grenades , T / Sgt . Dunham , despite a painful wound , spearheaded a spectacular and successful diversionary attack . Later life . Dunham and his wife Wilda lived on a small farm near Jerseyville , Illinois for over 30 years . He regularly attended a variety of functions related to honoring Medal of Honor recipients . Dunham erected a monument at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in honor of those who served with the 3rd Infantry Division . The monument was dedicated on May 20 , 2000 , and stands near Flagstaff and Rostrum Drive on the cemetery grounds . In his later years he still enjoyed coon hunting . Death . Dunham died of heart failure in his sleep on the morning of April 6 , 2009 in Godfrey , Illinois at the age of 89 . He is interred at Godfrey ' s Valhalla Memorial Park .