World War II Honoree

Russell F. Dunham

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Brighton, Illinois

Honored By

Ralph Bozorth

AWARDED THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR. TECHNICAL SERGEANT U.S. ARMY, COMPANY I, 30TH INFANTRY, 3RD INFANTRY DIVISION. PLACE AND DATE: NEAR KAYSERSBERG, FRANCE JANUARY 8, 1945. ENTERED AT BRIGHTON, ILLINOIS. BORN FEBRUARY 23, 1920, EAST CARONDELET, ILLINOIS. MAY 11, 1945 CITATION 'FOR CONSPICUOUS GALLANTRY AND INTREPIDITY AT RISK OF LIFE ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY. AT ABOUT 1430 HOURS ON 8 JANUARY 1945, DURING AN ATTACK ON HILL 616, NEAR KAYSERSBERG, FRANCE, HE SINGLE-HANDEDLY ASSAULTED 3 ENEMY MACHINE GUNS. WEARING A WHITE ROBE MADE OF A MATTRESS COVER, CARRYING 12 CARBINE MAGAZINES AND WITH A DOZEN HAND GRENADES SNAGGED IN HIS BELT, SUSPENDERS AND BUTTONHOLES, HE ADVANCED IN THE ATTACK UP A SNOW-COVERED HILL UNDER FIRE FROM 2 MACHINE GUNS AND SUPPORTING RIFLEMEN. HIS PLATOON 35 YARDS BEHIND HIM, HE CRAWLED 75 YARDS UNDER HEAVY DIRECT FIRE TOWARD THE TIMBERED EMPLACEMENT SHIELDING THE LEFT MACHINE GUN. AS HE JUMPED TO HIS FEET 10 YARDS FROM THE GUN AND CHARGED FORWARD, MACHINE GUN FIRE TORE THROUGH HIS CAMOUFLAGE ROBE AND A RIFLE BULLET SEARED A 10-INCH GASH ACROSS HIS BACK SENDING HIM SPINNING 15 YARDS DOWN HILL INTO THE SNOW. WHEN HE SPRANG TO HIS FEET TO RENEW HIS 1-MAN ASSAULT, A GERMAN EGG GRENADE LANDED BESIDE HIM. HE KICKED IT ASIDE AND AS IT EXPLODED 5 YARDS AWAY, SHOT AND KILLED THE GERMAN MACHINE GUNNER AND ASSISTANT GUNNER. HIS CARBINE EMPTY, HE JUMPED INTO THE EMPLACEMENT AND HAULED OUT THE THIRD MEMBER OF THE GUN CREW BY THE COLLAR. ALTHOUGH HIS BACK WOUND WAS CAUSING HIM EXCRUCIATING PAIN AND BLOOD WAS SEEPING THROUGH HIS WHITE COAT, HE PROCEEDED 50 YARDS THROUGH A STORM OF AUTOMATIC AND RIFLE FIRE TO ATTACK THE SECOND MACHINE GUN. 25 YARDS FROM THE EMPLACEMENT HE HURLED 2 GRENADES, DESTROYING THE GUN AND ITS CREW; THEN FIRED DOWN INTO THE SUPPORTING FOXHOLES WITH HIS CARBINE DISPATCHING AND DISPERSING THE ENEMY RIFLEMEN. ALTHOUGH HIS COAT WAS SO THOROUGHLY BLOOD-SOAKED THAT HE WAS A CONSPICUOUS TARGET AGAINST THE WHITE LANDSCAPE, HE AGAIN ADVANCED AHEAD OF HIS PLATOON IN AN ASSAULT ON ENEMY POSITIONS FURTHER UP THE HILL. COMING UNDER MACHINE GUN FIRE FROM 65 YARDS TO HIS FRONT, WHILE RIFLE GRENADES EXPLODED 10 YARDS FROM HIS POSITION, HE HIT THE GROUND AND CRAWLED FORWARD. AT 15 YARDS RANGE, HE JUMPED TO HIS FEET, STAGGERED A FEW PACES TOWARD THE TIMBERED MACHINE GUN EMPLACEMENT AND KILLED THE CREW WITH HAND GRENADES. AN ENEMY RIFLEMAN FIRED AT POINTBLANK RANGE, BUT MISSED HIM. AFTER KILLING THE RIFLEMAN, HE DROVE OTHERS FROM THEIR FOXHOLES WITH GRENADES AND CARBINE FIRE. KILLING 9 GERMANS, WOUNDING 7 AND CAPTURING 2; FIRING ABOUT 175 ROUNDS OF CARBINE AMMUNITION AND EXPENDING 11 GRENADES. DESPITE A PAINFUL WOUND, HE SPEARHEADED A SPECTACULAR AND SUCCESSFUL DIVERSIONARY ATTACK'.