Aníbal Milhais was nicknamed "Soldier Millions" for good reason. He was the most decorated Portuguese soldier of WW1 and the only soldier to receive the country's highest honor.
Milhais was a Lewis gunner with the 2nd Inf, PEC and on April 9, 1918, he found himself in the midst of the Battle of La Lys.
One of the phase of the battle was to allow the Portuguese and Scottish regiments to withdraw, so when the German Army attacked, everyone, including his men began retreating. Milhais single handedly defended his post, provided covering fire while killing over 100 Germans despite coming under heavy attack himself. Each wave that came, it was cut down by his Lewis. He held his ground until the enemy decided to go around his position and move past him.
Now, alone behind enemy lines, he managed to survive with a pack of peanuts for 3 days while still carrying his Lewis. In the process, he rescued a Scottish major from a swamp and the two reached Allied lines.
A few months later, he again single handedly repelled German attacks while providing cover for the Belgian Army.
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"I opened fire and the invaders fell. An hour later another invasion. Again I opened fire, before they could even reach their previous position. A machine gun fires a lot. But later, another invasion came. It wasn’t as big. I cut it down too. I didn’t see Germans after that."
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Unfortunately, after the war ended, the Portuguese economy was near bankruptcy and Milhais faced difficulties in providing for his family. The Portuguese government promised to help but, instead of an allowance, they were only able to name the village where he was born after him. He died in 1970 in Valongo de Milhais. #Hardfuck #getsome #grassgrower #ww1 #zerofoxtrot