Posted on 10/07/2022 5:14:22 PM PDT by ApplegateRanch
Nelson was drafted into the U.S. Army on July 14, 1941, from Fort Cook, Nebraska, and entered World War II with Foxtrot Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd ID. During his time with his unit, Nelson took part in Operation Torch in Morocco. Following the intense fighting in Northern Africa, Nelson also took part in Operation Husky in Sicily and Operations Avalanche and Shingle in Italy.
[snip]
According to Nelson, he had run out of ammunition, ran a couple hundred yards under enemy fire, climbed on top of an abandoned German tank and fired the machine gun at the enemy to allow his men to advance. However, a German saw Nelson and threw a hand grenade at him which hit his backpack. The grenade tore Nelson’s backpack apart and while he smelled blood, he could not find any on himself and continued shooting until the Germans finally surrendered.
(Excerpt) Read more at army.mil ...
Miracle of miracles, he also survived the Roughly 80 years it took, thanks to a records fire, until his Silver Star was finally awarded.
My dad was born about a year later than this man and was in the Anzio landing. He met my mother in Rome. Sadly, he died young.
Well done, Sgt. Nelson.
According to Nelson, he had run out of ammunition, ran a couple hundred yards under enemy fire, climbed on top of an abandoned German tank and fired the machine gun at the enemy to allow his men to advance.
Miracle of miracles, he also survived the Roughly 80 years it took, thanks to a records fire, until his Silver Star was finally awarded.
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Mine were destroyed in the same fire at the records center in St Louis. Fortunately for me and thousands of other vets those records were also on micro film in Washington D.C.
(According to Nelson, he had run out of ammunition, ran a couple hundred yards under enemy fire, climbed on top of an abandoned German tank and fired the machine gun at the enemy to allow his men to advance. )
WOW! That’s basically what Audie Murphy did.
Gads 80 years for a silver star. This man also deserves some kind of medal for being 107 years old surviving life’s slings and arrows.
How DARE they assume their pronouns!
Damn he looks good for 107.
St Louis fire got mine, from the 60s, as well.
He sounded good—MUCH better than Slow-Joe— on our local news, too.
Wow, what a hero. Well deserved.
I had a great uncle who died in WWII, obviously never met him. I found out a few years ago he was awarded the Silver Star posthumously. I’ve got no idea what his citation reads.
He was a B-24 Navigator who died in a crash.
Rock of the Marne! That refers the second WWI battle that was fought at the Marne River, at which the 3rd ID rose to the occasion and prevailed against enormous odds. It became the nickname of the 3rd ID.
The same fire got mine from the 50s...
Great uncle survived the Bataan Death march in the Army in WW2.
Grandfather built Navy ships at the Philadelphia Navy yard during WW2.
I was in the Junior Naval ROTC in high school - but did not afterwards enlist.
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Pj, you are my age! (58)
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