In The News

Hero of the Battle of the Bulge passes away

Hero of the Battle of the Bulge passes away

Tributes have been paid following the death of Paul J. Wiedorfer who was a hero of the World War II Battle of the Bulge. He was 90. 

Mr. Wiedorfer was serving as a young private with American forces in Belgium in 1944 when he carried out an act of heroism.

After his platoon was pinned down by two German machine gun nests Mr. Wiedorfer attacked one of the positions.

He charged across open ground, which was covered in snow and ice, and after disabling the gun position he then charged the other emplacement, taking a number of prisoners.

Weeks later he was badly wounded by mortar fire during a battle in German.

During his treatment at a hospital in England he learned he had been awarded The Medal of Honor, America’s highest military decoration, for his bravery at the Battle of the Bulge.

After the war he left the army and spent the rest of his life in his home city of Baltimore.

He was a modest man, who when asked a few years ago about his act of bravery simply replied: “Something had to be done and someone had to do it. And I just did it. I can’t tell you why.”

 

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