Holocaust victim

People think war heroes are always commanders, with master plans but they are usually just terrified teenagers who refuse to stop moving.

On a day in December 1944, near Bastogne, nineteen-year- James Hendrix was riding in an army truck. His unit was desperate to smash through enemy lines and rescue trapped troops. Suddenly a barrage of shells stopped them cold. Two giant German cannons blocked the road forward.

Without waiting for orders James grabbed his bazooka jumped into the mud and sprinted into a storm of bullets. He took aim. Fired accurately that the shocked enemy crews threw up their hands and surrendered. The path was open.

After that hidden machine guns started mowing down two soldiers out in the open. Running alone James charged the enemy nests. Silenced them until helpers could drag the wounded men to safety.

Then another transport truck was. Exploded into flames. A fellow soldier was trapped inside while bullets snapped and ammo cooked off. James didn't think twice. He leaped into the blazing wreckage grabbed the burning man and dragged him out in time.

Months later President Truman hung the Medal of Honor around his neck at the White House. James stayed in the military for decades serving in Korea and Vietnam before retiring as a master sergeant. He lived a life as a farmer. Passed away in 2002 leaving behind a truly unforgettable legacy of raw courage.

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The Last Judicial Hanging in The United States

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