This week's American Patriot is Private Rodger Wilton Young. Young saved his platoon when they were ambushed by a Japanese pillbox in the Solomons. Young was injured twice, but still advanced, firing all the way, and eventually destroyed the enemy machine gun nest with a grenade. Young's actions allowed his platoon to withdrawl without suffering additional casualties. Young died while destroying that enemy position killing all five of the enemy manning it. For his brave actions he was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal or Honor. It is important to note that when Young's National Guard unit was mobilized into the regular Army he was a Staff Sergeant and asked for a demotion to Private because being near deaf and blind, he felt that would be a liability to a leader of soldiers in a war zone. Rodger Wilton Young was later honored in the official song of the infantry.
To the everlasting glory of the Infantry, Shines the name, shines the name of Rodger Young
-Robert Heinlein/Frank Loesser
No comments:
Post a Comment