By 1944, Robert D. Maxwell was accustomed to combat. Upon being drafted at the out break of WWII, he saw action in North Africa, Sicily, Italy and France with the men of the 7th IR, 3rd ID. He had already earned several medals for valor to include the Purple Heart and Silver Star, and on Sept 7th 1944, he would go above and beyond once more for his men.
On that day, Robert and 2 other soldiers were manning an outpost near Besançon, France. Armed only with .45 pistols, they were attacked by an overwhelming infantry force supported by 20mm Flak cannons.
Under heavy MG, rifle and cannon fire and with the enemy only 10 yards away, the men held their ground until a hand grenade landed in their hole. Without hesitation, Robert jumped on top of the explosive and absorbed the full impact. Altough completely maimed, he survived.
Upon recovering from his wounds he was awarded the Medal of Honor.
In 2011, at the age of 90, Robert finally received his HS diploma since he dropped out in 7th grade in order to help feed his family during the Great Depression.
Sadly, on May 11, 2019, Robert Maxwell passed away at the age 98. He was Oregon's last living Medal of Honor recipient. #hardfuck #stayzero #zerofoxtrot