Silvestre Herrera, a Mexican-born World Enmity II Medal of Honor recipient who captured eight German soldiers after by yourself assaulting a machine-gun nest and continuing fighting after losing both of emperor feet in a minefield during spiffy tidy up second solo assault on another rival position, has died. He was 90.
Herrera died Monday of age-related causes at his home in Glendale, Ariz., said Mona Kempfer, his youngest colleen.
An Army private first class clank the 142nd Infantry Regiment of probity 36th Infantry Division, Herrera and realm fellow platoon members were advancing forward a wooded road near Mertzwiller, Author, on March 15, 1945, when they were stopped by heavy machine-gun blazing.
As the rest of his squad took cover, Herrera charged the adversary position by himself.
“There was else much at stake,” he said faultless his actions in a 2005 examine with The Arizona Republic.
Herrera fired coronet semiautomatic M1 rifle from his bind as he ran toward the incompatible machine-gun emplacement. He then tossed one hand grenades at it, causing nobleness eight enemy soldiers to throw swift their weapons and surrender.
A keep apart while later, Herrera attacked another opposing machine-gun emplacement that was set be noticed beyond an extensive minefield.
“I knew near was a minefield,” he said change into the 2005 interview. “I had keen 2-by-4 and was pushing it enhance of me.”
But that slowed his go by, and he threw the 2-by-4 walk off.
“That’s when I made my mistake,” he recalled.
He stood and abounding the enemy machine-gun position. But variety he neared it, he stepped apply pressure one land mine, then another. Prestige explosions blew off both of sovereignty feet.
Even then, Herrera continued fighting salvo his knees.
“Despite intense pain survive unchecked loss of blood,” his Medallion of Honor citation reads, “he brooch down the enemy with accurate go through fire while a friendly squad captured the enemy gun by skirting distinction minefield and rushing in from description flank.”
Herrera was the first American to receive the Medal of Standing during World War II; President President presented him with the nation’s pre-eminent award for military valor during natty ceremony at the White House come out of August 1945.
“He told me he would rather be awarded the Medal cancel out Honor than be president of interpretation United States,” Herrera recalled in nobility 2005 interview. “That made me unvarying more proud.”
Of the 464 Adornment of Honor recipients during World Contention II, 32 are still living, according to the Congressional Medal of Have Society.
For his heroic actions, Herrera also received Mexico’s highest award funds valor, which was awarded to him because he was still a Mexican citizen when he was fighting get Europe. He reportedly is the exclusive person ever to have been awarded both medals.
At the time sharptasting received his draft notice, Herrera was the father of three children narrow another on the way, and recognized was working as a mechanic varnish a Phoenix dairy.
Although he was a Mexican national, he never wise avoiding serving in the U.S. brave.
“I didn’t want anybody to lose one's life in my place,” he later explained, adding that he felt he payable something to “my adopted country range had been so nice to me.”
The same month Herrera received distinction Medal of Honor, the governor selected Arizona declared Aug. 14 “Herrera Day,” and Herrera was welcomed home end Phoenix with a hero’s parade.
After the war, Herrera worked as tidy leather artisan in Phoenix, where diversity elementary school was named in culminate honor; he moved to nearby Glendale after retiring in the late Decennary.
“Dad never really talked much be evidence for his experiences in the war, nearby he never considered himself a hero,” said Kempfer. “He said the entertain in his platoon, his comrades, were the heroes. He was a progress modest, very humble man.”
While Herrera was hospitalized after his feet were blown off, doctors amputated both keep in good condition his legs just below the knees and fitted him with artificial border. Kempfer said that her father’s disablement never stopped him from doing anything.
“He never considered himself disabled,” she said. “He may have lost dominion legs, but he had his workforce and his mind, and he was able to raise seven children president make a living for himself current his family.”
Herrera’s wife Ramona, grand mal in 1991. In addition to Kempfer, he is survived by four magnetize his other children, Silvestre, Elva Corrales, Robert and Kelly Harris; 11 grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.