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1SG Leonard A. Funk
Rank and Organization: First Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company C, 508th Parachute Infantry, 82d Airborne Division
Place and date: Holzheim, Belgium, 29 January 1945
Entered service at: Wilkinsburg, PA
| 1SG Funk distinguished himself by gallant, intrepid| preparations to attack Company C from the rear when|
|actions against the enemy. After advancing 15 miles |1SG Funk walked around the building and into their |
|in a driving snowstorm, the American force prepared |midst. He was ordered to surrender by a German |
|to attack through waist-deep drifts. The company |officer who pushed a machine pistol into his |
|executive officer became a casualty, and 1SG Funk |stomach. Although overwhelmingly outnumbered and |
|immediately assumed his duties, forming headquarters|facing almost certain death, 1SG Funk, pretending to|
|soldiers into a combat unit for an assault in the |comply with the order, began slowly to unsling his |
|face of direct artillery shelling and harassing fire|submachine gun from his shoulder and then, with |
|from the right flank. Under his skillful and |lightning motion, brought the muzzle into line and |
|courageous leadership, this miscellaneous group and |riddled the German officer. He turned upon the other|
|the 3d Platoon attacked 15 houses, cleared them, and|Germans, firing and shouting to the other Americans |
|took 30 prisoners without suffering a casualty. The |to seize the enemy's weapons. In the ensuing