World War II Honoree

Silvestre S. Herrera

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Phoenix, Arizona

Honored By

Friends of American Heroes

MEXICAN-BORN WWII MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT. CAPTURED EIGHT GERMAN SOLDIERS AFTER SINGLE HANDEDLY ASSAULTING A MACHINE GUN NEST. CONTINUED FIGHTING AFTER LOSING BOTH OF HIS FEET IN A MINEFIELD DURING A SECOND SOLO ASSAULT ON ANOTHER ENEMY POSITION. PRIVATE FIRST CLASS WITH COMPANY E, 142ND INFANTRY REGIMENT OF THE 36TH INFANTRY DIVISION. HE WAS ADVANCING WITH HIS FELLOW PLATOON MEMBERS ALONG A WOODED ROAD NEAR MERTZWILLER, FRANCE ON MARCH 15, 1945, WHEN THEY WERE STOPPED BY HEAVY MACHINE GUN FIRE. AS THE REST OF HIS PLATOON TOOK COVER, HERRERA CHARGED THE ENEMY POSITION BY HIMSELF. HERRERA FIRED HIS SEMI-AUTOMATIC M1 RIFLE FROM HIS HIP AS HE RAN TOWARD THE ENEMY MACHINE GUN EMPLACEMENT. HE THEN TOSSED TWO HAND GRENADES AT IT, CAUSING THE EIGHT ENEMY SOLDIERS TO THROW DOWN THEIR WEAPONS AND SURRENDER. A SHORT WHILE LATER, HE ATTACKED ANOTHER ENEMY MACHINE GUN EMPLACEMENT THAT WAS SET UP BEYOND AN EXTENSIVE MINEFIELD. HE KNEW THERE WAS A MINEFIELD AND HE HAD A TWO-BY-FOUR AND WAS PUSHING IT AHEAD OF HIM. BUT THAT SLOWED HIS PROGRESS, AND HE THREW IT AWAY. HE STOOD AND CHARGED THE ENEMY MACHINE GUN POSITION. BUT AS HE NEARED IT, HE STEPPED ON ONE LAND MINE, THEN ANOTHER. THE EXPLOSIONS BLEW OFF BOTH OF HIS FEET. EVEN THEN, HE CONTINUED FIGHTING, ON HIS KNEES. DESPITE INTENSE PAIN AND UNCHECKED LOSS OF BLOOD, HE PINNED DOWN THE ENEMY WITH ACCURATE RIFLE FIRE WHILE A FRIENDLY SQUAD CAPTURED THE ENEMY GUN BY SKIRTING THE MINEFIELD AND RUSHING IN FROM THE FLANK. HE WAS THE FIRST ARIZONAN TO RECEIVE THE MEDAL OF HONOR DURING WWII. PRESIDENT TRUMAN PRESENTED HIM WITH THE NATION'S HIGHEST AWARD FOR MILITARY VALOR DURING A CEREMONY AT THE WHITE HOUSE IN AUGUST 1945. FOR HIS HEROIC ACTIONS, HE ALSO RECEIVED MEXICO'S HIGHEST AWARD FOR VALOR, PREMIER MERITO MILITAR, MEXICO'S ORDER OF MILITARY MERIT FIRST CLASS, WHICH WAS AWARDED TO HIM BECAUSE HE WAS STILL A MEXICAN CITIZEN WHEN HE WAS FIGHTING IN EUROPE. HE WAS THE ONLY PERSON EVER TO HAVE BEEN AWARDED BOTH MEDALS. IT WASN'T UNTIL HE RECEIVED HIS DRAFT NOTICE BEFORE ENTERING THE ARMY IN JANUARY 1944 THAT HE DISCOVERED THAT HE HAD BEEN BORN IN MEXICO. WHEN HE TOLD HIS FATHER HE WAS BEING DRAFTED, HIS FATHER SURPRISED HIM BY SAYING, 'YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO. THEY CAN'T DRAFT YOU BECAUSE YOU AREN’T AN AMERICAN CITIZEN'. HE WENT ANYWAY TO SERVE HIS NEW COUNTRY.