The man had enough and went ape on the Germans, thus earning the Congressional Medal of Honor
Eli Whiteley, Class of '41
https://www.army.mil/article/242104/despite_wounds_courageous_soldier_led_his_platoon_through_battle
He went on the get his PhD and retired as a professor emeritus from A&M. Some of you troglodytes may have had him for a course or two.
Hell of a man. May he rest in peace.
Eli Whiteley, Class of '41
https://www.army.mil/article/242104/despite_wounds_courageous_soldier_led_his_platoon_through_battle
Quote:
On Dec. 27, 1944, then-1st Lt. Whiteley was leading his platoon in a brutal campaign that required the men to fight from house to house in the fortress town of Sigolsheim, France.
As he charged alone into a house off a fire-laden street, he suffered serious wounds to his left arm and shoulder, but he still managed to take out the two Germans occupants. Using grenades, he then charged into the next house, killing two more while helping his platoon capture 11 enemy soldiers.
House by house, Whiteley led his platoon as it cleared hostile troops from buildings along the street. By the time they reached a Nazi stronghold, Whiteley's left arm was completely useless. But he pushed forward anyway, blasting out a wall with a bazooka before charging through a hail of gunfire that followed. He had to wedge his submachine gun under his uninjured arm as he ran into the house through the blast hole, killing five enemy soldiers and forcing the remaining 12 to surrender.
Whiteley continued his attack and was again critically wounded when one of his eyes was pierced by a shell fragment. Despite the intense pain, he yelled for his men to follow him into the next house.
He stayed in the fight as the head of his platoon until medical personnel forced him to evacuate.
All in all, Whiteley's courage under intense fire led to the death of nine Germans and the capture of 23 more. His leadership during the battle led to an Allied victory that shattered any remaining enemy resistance in the area.
He went on the get his PhD and retired as a professor emeritus from A&M. Some of you troglodytes may have had him for a course or two.
Quote:
A distinguished war hero, Whiteley returned to North Carolina and finished his master's degree in 1949. That same year, he married a woman named Anna. The pair had two sons and three daughters.
After earning his degree, Whiteley accepted a job teaching agronomy at his alma mater, the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas. He worked there for 30 years as a teacher. He also researched plants and soil management, which helped him earn him a doctorate in soil physics in 1959. Whiteley retired in 1979 and was named a professor emeritus in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences.
Hell of a man. May he rest in peace.
