World War II Honoree

Rudolph Charles Pierce

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Timmonsville, South Carolina

Honored By

Linda Eagerton Russell

Relationship

Niece

EARLY IN THE WAR, HELPED PROTECT THE PANAMA CANAL ZONE. LATER, PARTICIPATED IN THE D-DAY INVASION AND SUBSEQUENT HOLDING OF BATTLE LINES IN THE BELGIUM AREA. HIS UNIT HELD ONE OF THE RIDGETOP POSITIONS IN THE ARDENNES FOREST THAT WAS OVER-RUN BY THE GERMAN ATTACK (BATTLE OF THE BULGE). HE AND AND ANOTHER SOLDIER ESCAPED DOWN INTO A FARM FIELD AND HID FROM THE ENEMY IN A HAYSTACK FOR THREE DAYS AND NIGHTS, UNTIL THE ENEMY PASSED THROUGH. THEY WERE THE ONLY SURVIVORS OF THAT RIDGETOP UNIT. THE LOCAL PEOPLE CONNECTED THEM TO PART OF THE 'UNDERGROUND', AND HE WAS HIDDEN AND KEPT SAFE UNTIL PATTON'S ARMY CAME BACK THROUGH. HE JOINED WITH PATTON'S TROOPS AND REMAINED WITH THEM AS PART OF THE INVASION OF GERMANY. WHEN THE WAR ENDED IN EUROPE, HE WAS RELEASED TO RETURN HOME.