On December 16, 1944, in a last ditch effort to stop the Allied juggernaut advancing towards Germany.

 On December 16, 1944, in a last ditch effort to stop the Allied juggernaut advancing towards Germany. 

more than 200,000 German soldiers, supported by nearly 1000 tanks, slammed into the American lines in the Ardennes, a snow-covered, densely forested region of eastern Belgium, Luxembourg, and northeast France. 

On the second day of the massive surprise attack, Sgt. Jose M. Lopez, a machine gunner with Company K, 23d Infantry, 2d Infantry Division, was hit by hundreds of German infantrymen.

With machine gun, grenade, and artillery fire erupting all around him; enemy tanks pounding his position; and fellow Americans being killed, blown apart, and screaming for help, the 34-year-old Mexican-born sergeant who had been raised in poverty in Brownsville, Texas, and had seen his mother die of tuberculosis when he was eight, took action.

Grabbing his 31-pound machine gun and countless belts of ammunition, Lopez jumped out of his fighting hole, and dodging bullets and explosions, ran up and down his company line firing into the enemy attackers.

Blown off his feet by an exploding artillery round, the husband and father of two young children got up, charged towards the advancing troops and tanks, and continued to deliver deadly and accurate fire against the enemy formation.

Even when slammed to the ground a second time, Lopez kept fighting.

 Dazed but determined to hold on to the end, the sergeant crawled to his machine gun and again opened up on the attacking Germans.

Only after running out of ammo did the courageous soldier fall back with his company. 

Nicknamed “Kid Mendoza” for his time as a lightweight boxing champion in the 1930’s, Lopez had singlehandedly stopped the German assault and killed “at least 100 of the enemy.”

For his "gallantry and intrepidity on seemingly suicidal missions in which he was almost solely responsible for allowing Company K to avoid being enveloped,” Sgt. Lopez was awarded the Medal of Honor.

Postscript:

After being presented the MOH by Major General Van Fleet in Nuremberg, Germany, Lopez returned to the States and was given a hero's welcome in New York City.

"Oh boy, they gave me a welcome!" Lopez said in an interview with The University of Texas. 

“I even met the mayor, the Italian guy,” referring to legendary New York mayor Fiorello LaGuardia.

One of the first things Lopez did after making it back home was to attend church services.

 "My wife and I went to church to thank God that I returned and saw my children and wife again,” he later recounted.

In 1950, with the Korean War raging, Lopez was again willing to serve his country.

 When the 40-year-old Medal of Honor recipient deployed to Korea, however, President Truman intervened.

 "Sergeant Lopez, we're sending you back to the U.S,” his captain told him after receiving orders from higher command. Lopez’ fighting days were over. 

Jose Lopez moved to San Antonio, worked for the Veterans Administration, and on May 16, 2005, died at the age of 94, outliving his wife, Emilia, whom he had married in 1942, by one year.  

Today we pay tribute to Sgt. Jose Lopez, his family, and all the brave men who served, sacrificed, and died 76 years ago during the Battle of the Bulge, the bloodiest battle of WWII for US forces. 

We will never forget you!