World War II Honoree

Sanford Harold 'Sandy' Winston

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

New York, New York

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

ENTERED MILITARY SERVICE AT AGE 19. STAGED AT CAMP STONEMAN AT PITTSBURG, CALIFORNIA ON JUNE 28, 1943 AWAITING OVERSEAS DEPLOYMENT. SAILED FROM THE SAN FRANCISCO PORT OF EMBARKATION ON JULY 8, 1943 AND ARRIVED IN HAWAII ON JULY 15, 1943. SERVED OVERSEAS IN THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC THEATER WITH THE 136TH INFANTRY REGIMENT, 33RD INFANTRY 'PRAIRIE' DIVISION. HIS REGIMENT DEPARTED HAWAII ON APRIL 30, 1944 AND ARRIVED AT FINSCHHAFEN, NEW GUINEA ON MAY 11, 1944. PARTICIPATED IN THE NEW GUINEA, AND LUZON CAMPAIGNS. LANDED ON MOROTAI ISLAND ON DECEMBER 18, 1944. ON FEBRUARY 10, 1945, HIS REGIMENT LANDED AT LINGAYEN GULF ON LUZON IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. FOR SOME THREE MONTHS, HE AND HIS TROOPS ENDURED HEAVY CLOSE COMBAT, OFTEN HAND-TO-HAND, IN RUGGED MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. ON MAY 12, 1945, HE WAS ORDERED TO LEAD TWO RIFLE PLATOONS IN A FRONTAL ASSAULT ON A FORTIFIED HILL POSITION ON SKYLINE RIDGE. DURING THE ASSAULT, HIS UNIT CAME UNDER INTENSE MORTAR, MACHINE GUN AND SMALL ARMS FIRE, AND A NUMBER OF HIS TROOPS WERE KILLED OR SERIOUSLY WOUNDED. HE WAS WOUNDED IN THE HAND AND KNEES. WHILE MANY OF HIS MEN WITHDREW DOWN THE HILL TO COVER, HE RECOVERED AN AUTOMATIC RIFLE FROM ONE OF THE DEAD AND ADVANCED TOWARD THE ENEMY POSITION IN A HAIL OF ENEMY FIRE. HE MOVED FORWARD FIRING TO WITHIN SOME 25 YARDS OF THE ENEMY, DESPITE THEIR FIRE THAT TORE HIS HELMET FROM HIS HEAD AND RIPPED HIS CANTEEN FROM HIS BELT. HE KILLED AT LEAST 10 OF THE ENEMY INCLUDING THE CREW OF A MACHINE GUN THAT HE TOOK OUT WITH A HAND GRENADE. HE NEXT PERSONALLY DRAGGED SIX OF HIS WOUNDED MEN TO SAFETY WHILE STILL UNDER FIRE; AND THEN ORDERED HIS MEN BACK INTO THE FIGHT TO EVACUATE HIS OTHER WOUNDED SOLDIERS. ONCE THAT WAS ACCOMPLISHED, HE LED HIS UNIT IN AN ORDERLY WITHDRAWAL WHILE STILL BEING ENGAGED BY THE ENEMY. HE IS CREDITED WITH SAVING THE LIVES OF MORE THAN 20 OF HIS MEN FROM PROBABLE DEATH AT THE HANDS OF THE ENEMY. AWARDED THE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS, SILVER STAR, BRONZE STAR MEDAL, PURPLE HEART, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH 2 BRONZE SERVICE STARS, AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL. AWARDED THE PHILIPPINE PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION FOR SERVICE IN THE WAR AGAINST JAPAN DURING THE PERIOD OCTOBER 17, 1944 TO JULY 4, 1945. ALSO AWARDED THE PHILIPPINE LIBERATION MEDAL FOR SERVICE IN THE LIBERATION OF THE PHILIPPINES. CONTINUED IN U.S. ARMY SERVICE AFTER THE WAR UNTIL HIS RETIREMENT WITH THE RANK OF LIEUTENANT COLONEL. ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON.