On April 6, 1945, 1st Lt. Raymond Beaudoin was leading a platoon over flat, open terrain on the way to Hamelin, Germany when they were bombarded from three directions with a hail of gunfire.
Beaudoin had his men rotate into firing positions so they all had a chance to dig in. He encouraged them and gave out ammunition before settling into position closest to the enemy. He managed to keep steady fire on the Germans, killing six. His platoon was able to do serious damage to the rest of the enemy soldiers, who outnumbered them by far.
Three soldiers who had tried to gather more ammunition and find reinforcements were killed by sniper fire, all while the Germans were growing in numbers and preparing a counterattack. The platoon needed help to get out alive.
Beaudoin knew the only way to do so was to distract the enemy so a soldier could run through the line of fire to find help. Beaudoin spent the next harrowing moments crawling 80 yards over exposed ground to move closer to the enemy's most lethal sniper nest. He refused to quit, despite being fired at by eight Panzerschreck and rifle fire that came so close, it was ripping his uniform along the way.
About 10 yards from the enemy sniper's nest, Beaudoin stood up and charged. He got close enough to shoot and kill two of the snipers point-blank, and he smashed the skull of a third with the butt of his rifle who tried to stab him with a bayonet.
Beaudoin tried to continue his attack, but he was killed by machine-gun fire. His heroic effort made it possible for another soldier to break past the line of fire to get the help needed to save the unit. It also led to the defeat of the German forces.
One month later, the war ended. The 26 year old Lt. posthumously received the MOH in 1946. #ww2 #hero #stayzero #zerofoxtrot