2nd Lt. Richard Durkee (center) was a paratrooper with the 551st PIR, 82nd AB.
During WW2, the 551st lost 80% of its men during the Battle of the Bulge, and on 4 January 1945, Durkee and his men were ordered to seize the Belgian town of Rochelinval.
As he approached the position, 15 men had been killed by enemy MGs. Fighting the freezing cold and determined to kill the enemy, Lt. Durkee led 30 soldiers in a bayonet charge on German lines. He was the first to reach the enemy foxholes, and in less than 30 minutes of hand-to-hand fighting, 60 German soldiers lay dead.
On March 23, 1951, six years later, Durkee led a squad of soldiers in an attack near Uijongbu, Korea.
He led another charge, and when his ammunition was expended, he single-handedly assaulted enemy positions with his bayonet.
In one instance, he had thrusted the bayonet so deep into a communist, he was unable to remove it from the body.
So, he charged with his bare hands another hostile position, seized an enemy soldier's rifle BY THE BAYONET, wrested the weapon from his hands and clubbed him to death.
Although his hand was seriously lacerated during this action, Durkee continued to lead the assault and took over the objective.
He was awarded the DSC along with a Silver Star and 4 purple hearts. Hardfuck approved #stayzero #zerofoxtrot #ww2 #slayer