FReeper Canteen ~ Hall of Heroes: Melvin E Biddle ~ 04 April 2016

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[Kathy in Alaska]

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~ Hall of Heroes ~

Melvin E. Biddle

Info from here and here.

           

Melvin Earl "Bud" Biddle (November 28, 1923 – December 16, 2010) was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II.

Biddle was born on November 28, 1923, in Daleville, Indiana, to Owen J. and Blanche Olive (Bowen) Biddle. He had two brothers, Ralph and Lee, and three sisters, Marie, Carolyn, and Eileen. A life-long resident of the area, Biddle attended elementary school in Daleville and graduated from Anderson High School in nearby Anderson, Indiana. He worked for Delco Remy in Anderson until being drafted into the U.S. Army.

By December 23, 1944, Biddle was serving in Europe as a private first class in Company B of the 1st Battalion, 517th Parachute Infantry Regiment.

The orders from Melvin E. Biddle's Army commander came quickly. The officer pointed at then-Pfc. Biddle and barked, "You! Out front!"

It was late December 1944 and a ragtag company of American cooks and clerks were stranded in Hotton, Belgium, about four miles from Mr. Biddle's unit near Soy.

The Battle of the Bulge had just begun, and the troops in Hotton were surrounded and outnumbered by German forces. They needed to be rescued. Leading the stealthy advance through the snowy forests was Mr. Biddle, who took over when his unit's two lead scouts were injured in a land-mine blast.

A week later, he was wounded in the neck by shrapnel which just missed his jugular vein. After recovering in England for several weeks, he headed back to his unit and on the way learned through an article in Stars and Stripes that he would be awarded the Medal of Honor.

For his actions during the battle near Soy, Biddle was awarded the Medal of Honor at the White House on October 30, 1945, by President Harry Truman. When presenting the medal to Biddle, Truman whispered "People don't believe me when I tell them that I'd rather have one of these than be President."

Biddle was later promoted to corporal. In addition to the Medal of Honor, he also received the Bronze Star and Purple Heart.

On December 1, 1946, Biddle married his childhood sweetheart, Leona Elsie Allen. The couple had two daughters, Elissa and Marsha.

After leaving the military, Biddle returned to Indiana and worked for the Department of Veterans Affairs. He helped distribute loans and benefits to veterans for 26 years until his retirement. He also served on the Anderson City Council.

Biddle rarely spoke of his Medal of Honor action. He gave occasional interviews and appeared at events honoring veterans but preferred to lead a more private life. He was an avid golfer and a member of the local Veterans of Foreign Wars post.

Biddle died of congestive heart failure on December 16, 2010, at Saint John's Medical Center in Anderson following a sudden illness.

Aged 87 at his death, he was buried in Anderson's Memorial Park Cemetery on December 20. In deference to his family's beliefs as Jehovah's Witnesses, Biddle requested that his funeral be free of military observances. His death date was the 66th anniversary of the start of the Battle of the Bulge, in which he earned the Medal of Honor, and he was Indiana's last surviving Medal of Honor recipient from World War II.

Biddle's official Medal of Honor citation reads:

He displayed conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy near Soy, Belgium, on 23 and 24 December 1944. Serving as lead scout during an attack to relieve the enemy-encircled town of Hotton, he aggressively penetrated a densely wooded area, advanced 400 yards until he came within range of intense enemy rifle fire, and within 20 yards of enemy positions killed 3 snipers with unerring marksmanship. Courageously continuing his advance an additional 200 yards, he discovered a hostile machine-gun position and dispatched its 2 occupants. He then located the approximate position of a well-concealed enemy machine-gun nest, and crawling forward threw hand grenades which killed two Germans and fatally wounded a third. After signaling his company to advance, he entered a determined line of enemy defense, coolly and deliberately shifted his position, and shot 3 more enemy soldiers. Undaunted by enemy fire, he crawled within 20 yards of a machine-gun nest, tossed his last hand grenade into the position, and after the explosion charged the emplacement firing his rifle. When night fell, he scouted enemy positions alone for several hours and returned with valuable information which enabled our attacking infantry and armor to knock out 2 enemy tanks. At daybreak he again led the advance and, when flanking elements were pinned down by enemy fire, without hesitation made his way toward a hostile machine-gun position and from a distance of 50 yards killed the crew and 2 supporting riflemen. The remainder of the enemy, finding themselves without automatic weapon support, fled panic stricken. Pfc. Biddle's intrepid courage and superb daring during his 20-hour action enabled his battalion to break the enemy grasp on Hotton with a minimum of casualties.

Please remember the Canteen is here to honor, support and entertain our troops and their families.  This is a politics-free zone!  Thanks for helping us in our mission! 

 

[luvie]

We did go to DQ! She got a dilly bar as did hubby, but I wasn’t into ice cream tonight.

I would have brought home a blizzard if I had thought about it in time. LOL!

I need to sleep...even though I don’t work tomorrow, so nighty-night! :)

[Kathy in Alaska]

wh!!

Thanks, unique.

radu.....#50!!

[radu]

They’re easy to get hooked on. Gentle giants. A bit different than the raptors.

Still waiting for the Dejtar and Nagyhalasz storks to return from migration.

The Rimoc cam is hinky. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. The pair arrived together at that nest this year.

It shouldn’t be long before we get eggs on the two occupied nests. Both pairs have been “busy”. :-)

[radu]

Good night and sleep well, LUV.
Enjoy your day off tomorrow!

[radu]

:-)

[txradioguy]

Good morning everyone!!!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Happy Anniversary, Mr & Mrs Luv W

Click

[radu]

Good morning, tx!!!!

[Kathy in Alaska]

I know she has had fushias in the past, but hanging them now is a bit dicey. I don’t do ladders anymore.

But if I can get her to go pick her own flowers I will consider that a big win.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Rest well....I’m not too far behind.

[radu]

Maybe she’ll hang on to her interest in picking her own flowers out this year. Maybe if you see some ads that you can leave around where she can see them, it’ll help keep her interest up.

I don’t do ladders either. The branch I hang ours from is reachable from the ground but still out of kitteh reach. That part is a must!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good morning, tx...what are you up to if you don’t get to work on stories?

Are you doing PR work for the Army? ((HUGS))

[E.G.C.]

A very pleasant good Monday morning to everyone at the Canteen and to all our military at home and abroad. Thanks for your service to our country.

((HUGS))Good morning, Ladies. Thanks for posting this morning's thread, Star. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MR. AND MS. LUV W!!!!! How's it going?

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good morning, E...((HUGS))... you and Bo have a great Monday.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good morning, E...((HUGS))... you and Bo have a great Monday.

[radu]

Heading out to get ready to crawl off to the bat cave.
Sleep well when you head to bed. Hope your day goes smoothly. We know how Mondays can go sometimes.

[radu]

[radu]

Aw heck, why not go for it?

[radu]

Aw heck, why not go for it?

[radu]

Aw heck, why not go for it?