T/Sgt. Francis S. Currey, an automatic rifleman with the 3rd BN, 120th IR, 30th ID, was defending a strong point near Malmedy, Belgium.
On 21 December 1944, the enemy launched a powerful armored attack, German tanks advanced towards his position. T/Sgt. Currey found a bazooka and crossed the street to secure rockets meanwhile enduring intense fire from enemy tanks and hostile infantrymen who had taken up a position at a house a short distance away. In the face of small-arms, machinegun, and artillery fire, he, with a companion, knocked out a tank with 1 shot.
Moving to another position, he observed 3 Germans in the doorway of an enemy-held house. He killed all 3 with his automatic rifle. While in this forward position, he observed 5 Americans who had been pinned down for hours by fire from 3 tanks. Realizing that they could not escape until the enemy tank and infantry guns had been silenced, Sgt. Currey crossed the street to a vehicle, where he procured an armful of antitank grenades. These he launched while under heavy enemy fire, driving the tankmen from the vehicles into the house. He then climbed onto a half-track in full view of the Germans and fired a machinegun at the house.
Once again changing his position, he manned another machine gun whose crew had been killed; under his covering fire the 5 soldiers were able to retire to safety. Deprived of tanks and with heavy infantry casualties, the enemy was forced to withdraw. Through his extensive knowledge of weapons and by his heroic and repeated braving of murderous enemy fire, T/Sgt. Currey was greatly responsible for inflicting heavy losses in men and material on the enemy, for rescuing 5 comrades, 2 of whom were wounded, and for stemming an attack which threatened to flank his battalion's position.
At 20 years old, we was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1945. He's pictured here with all of the weapons systems he used during his one man assault. #stayzero #zerofoxtrot #hardfuck #ww2 #guns #hero