~ Hall of Heroes ~ Paul Wiedorfer
Info from here. |     
| Born in Baltimore, Maryland, raised in the 2400 block of McElderry Street, he attended St. Andrew's School, and graduated in 1940 from Baltimore  Polytechnic Institute. On November 11, 2008, a plaque honoring him was placed in Poly's Memorial Hall.Married to his bride, Alice Stauffer, for just six months when Wiedorfer enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1943, he was working as an apprentice power station operator at the Baltimore Gas & Electric Company in Baltimore, and was living in the 1900 block of Bank Street. Wiedorfer received basic training at Camp Lee, Virginia. He was then assigned to the Quartermaster Corps, and then passed the examination for cadet air training. He was training to be a pilot, but the Army switched him to infantry because of greater need. On the way to England he crossed the Atlantic Ocean on the HMS Queen Mary, and by December 25, 1944, was serving as a private in Company G, 318th Infantry Regiment, 80th Infantry Division. On that Christmas Day, near Chaumont, Belgium, Wiedorfer single-handedly charged across 40 yards of open ground, destroyed two German machine gun emplacements and took six Germans prisoner. He was subsequently promoted to staff sergeant and on May 29, 1945, issued the Medal of Honor for his actions during the battle. While crossing the Saar River, he was severely wounded February 10, 1945, by a mortar shell that blew up near him; shrapnel broke his left leg, ripped into his stomach, and seriously injured two fingers on his right hand. The soldier next to him died from his wounds and Paul credited that soldier for saving his life.  Recent research has discovered the soldier's name to be PFC Milton C Smithers of Huntingdon, New Jersey. Paul was evacuated to the 137th United States Army General Hospital in England where he was placed in traction. While in the hospital a sergeant reading Stars and Stripes asked him how he spelled his name, and then told him he had received the Medal of Honor. Later, on May 29, 1945, Brigadier General Egmont F. Koenig with a band entered the ward to present him with his medal Wiedorfer reached the rank of master sergeant before retiring from the Army. In addition to the Medal of Honor he was also awarded a Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts. He returned to Baltimore on June 11, 1945, and was given a ticker tape parade  with General George C. Marshall and Maryland governor Herbert O'Conor in attendance. After the war he spent another three years recovering in different Army hospitals and then returned to Baltimore Gas & Electric, and retired in 1981 after 40 years of service. He and Alice had four children. Wiedorfer died in Baltimore on May 25, 2011, at age 90. He was buried in Baltimore's Moreland Memorial Park Cemetery on June 7, 2011. | Wiedorfer's official Medal of Honor citation reads: He alone made it possible for his company to advance until its objective was seized. Company G had cleared a wooded area of snipers, and 1 platoon was advancing across an open clearing toward another wood when it was met by heavy machinegun fire from 2 German positions dug in at the edge of the second wood. These positions were flanked by enemy riflemen. The platoon took cover behind a small ridge approximately 40 yards from the enemy position. There was no other available protection and the entire platoon was pinned down by the German fire. It was about noon and the day was clear, but the terrain extremely difficult due to a 3-inch snowfall the night before over ice-covered ground. Pvt. Wiedorfer, realizing that the platoon advance could not continue until the 2 enemy machinegun nests were destroyed, voluntarily charged alone across the slippery open ground with no protecting cover of any kind. Running in a crouched position, under a hail of enemy fire, he slipped and fell in the snow, but quickly rose and continued forward with the enemy concentrating automatic and small-arms fire on him as he advanced. Miraculously escaping injury, Pvt. Wiedorfer reached a point some 10 yards from the first machinegun emplacement and hurled a handgrenade into it. With his rifle he killed the remaining Germans, and, without hesitation, wheeled to the right and attacked the second emplacement. One of the enemy was wounded by his fire and the other 6 immediately surrendered. This heroic action by 1 man enabled the platoon to advance from behind its protecting ridge and continue successfully to reach its objective. A few minutes later, when both the platoon leader and the platoon sergeant were wounded, Pvt. Wiedorfer assumed command of the platoon, leading it forward with inspired energy until the mission was accomplished.
TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Free Republic
KEYWORDS: canteen; heroes; military; troopsupport
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To: The Mayor; PROCON; mylife; mountainlion; Publius; Jet Jaguar; ConorMacNessa; ...
2
posted on 11/15/2020 5:31:08 PM PST
by Kathy in Alaska
((~RIP Brian...the Coast Guard lost a good one.~))
To: Kathy in Alaska
Thanks for honoring tonight’s Hero, Kathy!
3
posted on 11/15/2020 5:47:00 PM PST
by PROCON
(Molon Labe)
To: Kathy in Alaska
Hi Everybody!~
(((HUGS)))
4
posted on 11/15/2020 5:51:29 PM PST
by left that other site
(If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all. (Isaiah 7:9))
To: Kathy in Alaska
Hi Everybody!~
(((HUGS)))
5
posted on 11/15/2020 5:51:34 PM PST
by left that other site
(If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all. (Isaiah 7:9))
To: Kathy in Alaska; luvie; HiJinx; AZamericonnie; Jet Jaguar; beachn4fun; SandRat; laurenmarlowe; ...
 Greetings to all at the Canteen! To all our military men and women, past and present, THANK YOU
for your service! 
6
posted on 11/15/2020 6:09:09 PM PST
by radu
(God bless our military men and women, past and present)
To: Kathy in Alaska
7
posted on 11/15/2020 6:09:42 PM PST
by mylife
(The Roar Of The Masses Could Be Farts)
To: Kathy in Alaska
8
posted on 11/15/2020 6:14:15 PM PST
by Eagles6
To: PROCON
Good evening, Pro...it took me all day to get anything done on FR. The migration seems to be taking its time getting all its information to me. I’m just glad it’s back.
Hope you have had a relaxing weekend. How did your college games go? Did you win?
9
posted on 11/15/2020 6:35:12 PM PST
by Kathy in Alaska
((~RIP Brian...the Coast Guard lost a good one.~))
To: Kathy in Alaska
So nice watching college football on Saturday. My team won, daughter's didn't. Did you watch some games?
10
posted on 11/15/2020 6:41:03 PM PST
by PROCON
(Molon Labe)
To: Kathy in Alaska
Howdy, Kathy.
Reading the Heroes threads can take one’s breath away and tonight’s no exception.
Mighty pretty up your way today, but mighty cold. BRRRRRRRR
11
posted on 11/15/2020 6:41:52 PM PST
by radu
(God bless our military men and women, past and present)
To: left that other site
Good evening, ML...((HUGS))...did you and Penny get in a good walk while FR was getting better?
If this posts the first time, FR might have made its way back here. Here goes!
WOOHOO! A preview on the first try....fingers crossed.
12
posted on 11/15/2020 6:44:25 PM PST
by Kathy in Alaska
((~RIP Brian...the Coast Guard lost a good one.~))
To: left that other site
WOOHOO!!! Good news for me...preview and post on the first try!!
13
posted on 11/15/2020 6:45:17 PM PST
by Kathy in Alaska
((~RIP Brian...the Coast Guard lost a good one.~))
To: PROCON
Howdy, PRO.
Was your weather nice enough to be able to get out to do things or was it stay-cooped-up chilly?
Not too chilly here today but it sure was windy. That took a little fun out of it.
14
posted on 11/15/2020 6:50:44 PM PST
by radu
(God bless our military men and women, past and present)
To: radu
Good evening, radu...did you warm up today? Ready for a cold streak? Standing in my driveway looking towards the mountains to the east. 
A beautiful, but chilly, day. It's 13 right now and dropping.
15
posted on 11/15/2020 6:54:15 PM PST
by Kathy in Alaska
((~RIP Brian...the Coast Guard lost a good one.~))
To: radu
Hiya radu! We've had on again-off again nice/rainy weather this weekend. I have been dog-sitting much of the weekend, Robin and daughter are having girl fun in sunny AZ, and son has been working all weekend, so I have been feeding and hanging with the pups quite a bit.
16
posted on 11/15/2020 7:08:49 PM PST
by PROCON
(Molon Labe)
To: mylife
Good evening, my...FR is finally back for me. WOOHOO!
Hope you had a good day.
17
posted on 11/15/2020 7:13:36 PM PST
by Kathy in Alaska
((~RIP Brian...the Coast Guard lost a good one.~))
To: Kathy in Alaska
It’s been a 504 gateway error kinda day ;)
18
posted on 11/15/2020 7:15:56 PM PST
by mylife
(The Roar Of The Masses Could Be Farts)
To: Kathy in Alaska
 Freep mail me to be on or off the Daily Bread ping list
November 16Borrowed ShoesServe one another humbly in love. Galatians 5:13In the chaos of fleeing his home during the California wildfires of 2018, Gabe, a high school senior, missed the state-qualifying cross-country race for which heâd been training. Missing this meet meant he wouldnât have the chance to compete at the state meetâthe culminating event of his four-year running career. In light of the circumstances, the state athletics board gave Gabe another chance: heâd have to run a qualifying time by himself, on a rival high schoolâs track, in âstreet shoesâ because his running shoes were in the charred rubble of his home. When he showed up to ârace,â Gabe was surprised by his competitors whoâd come to supply him with proper shoes and to run alongside him to ensure he kept the pace necessary to be entered in the state meet. Gabeâs opponents had no obligation to help him. They could have given into their natural desires to look out for themselves (Galatians 5:13); doing so might have improved their own odds of winning. But Paul urges us to display the fruit of the Spirit in our livesâto âserve one another humbly in loveâ and to demonstrate âkindnessâ and âgoodnessâ (vv. 13, 22). When we lean on the Spirit to help us not act on our natural instincts, weâre better able to love those around us. Reflect & Pray How are you showing the âfruit of the Spiritâ in the way you treat others? How can you better love your âneighborâ? Dear God, my natural desire is to look out for myself. Help me to serve others out of love for You. 
19
posted on 11/15/2020 7:17:12 PM PST
by The Mayor
(I am outraged at your outrage toward the outrage!)
To: Eagles6
You are most welcome, Eagle6. Have a terrific week ahead.
20
posted on 11/15/2020 7:17:24 PM PST
by Kathy in Alaska
((~RIP Brian...the Coast Guard lost a good one.~))
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