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Mensaje: <blockquote data-quote="Shandor" data-source="post: 1779352" data-attributes="member: 50">MoH Leonard A. Funk: U.S. paratrooper who took out 40 Germans in 60 seconds  <a href="http://www.warhistoryonline.com/war-articles/moh-leonard-a-funk-u-s-paratrooper-who-took-out-40-germans-in-60-seconds.html/attachment/download-27" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.warhistoryonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/download3.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></a>Leonard Funk was the most decorated paratrooper of World War II, earning the Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, Bronze Star, and three Purple Hearts, in addition to his Medal of Honor.1st Sergeant Leonard Funk. the paratrooper’s paratrooper.Hotter than a two-dollar pistol. C Company’s top non-com has come as close as any individual to convincing Jerry he should have stayed in bed or something to that effect.Deceptive in size and appearance. Funk is just about as successful and colorful an operator as they come in the ETO. He has led dozens of night patrols, harassed and killed the enemy far behind the lines, set up aid stations and even acted as company commander when all available officers became casualties.Small, five feet four inches in height; compact, 140-pounds; his appearance is anything but that of the swaggering trooper so often detailed in fact and fiction.[iframe style="border: 0px currentColor; vertical-align: bottom;" id="google_ads_iframe_/6766078/WHOL_300x250_inline_0" height="280" marginHeight="0" src="javascript:"[/iframe]Among the men of his company he is more frequently referred to as “Napoleon.”In Normandy he landed nearly 40 miles inland with other members of the stick but successfully waged a 10-day campaign of terror and destruction before breaking through to rejoin the Regiment. Funk’s leadership was such that not one member of the small unit was lost.Standing just five and a half feet tall, Lenny Funk wasn’t exactly the most physically imposing warrior to ever live, but his hardcore tenacity in combat and amazing ability to coordinate eventually earned him the respectable nickname “Napoleon”. He didn’t disappoint his namesake – after parachuting into Holland in the early stages of Operation Market Garden, he led a successful small three-man patrol that charged into the face of three fully-crewed 20mm anti-aircraft guns that were firing on US gliders.Funk and his small team destroyed the three enemy positions Wolfenstein-style and wiped out twenty German soldiers without losing a man. They cleared the landing zone for Allied gliders and paratroopers, and then proceeded to secure the area while the rest of the invasion force regrouped and organized. Even though Market Garden ended up being a failed mission, Funk’s impressive actions earned him the Distinguished Service Cross, the second-highest award for bravery offered by the Army.<a href="http://www.warhistoryonline.com/war-articles/moh-leonard-a-funk-u-s-paratrooper-who-took-out-40-germans-in-60-seconds.html/attachment/military_ribbons1" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.warhistoryonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/military_ribbons1.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></a>January 29, 1945, Holzheim, Belgium…a ragtag group of US paratroopers was assaulting the tiny town of mostly burned out buildings, rubble and Germans.US Army First Sergeant Leonard A. Funk, Jr. had taken command of a small platoon after their second lieutenant was killed. There were 5 US Soldiers in all that day, made up of clerks and translators. They had captured about 80 German soldiers, who surrendered thinking the attacking US forces were much larger.After policing the prisoners, Funk decided to link up with the main force of American paratroopers, supposedly stationed on the opposite end of town. He ordered the other four to guard their prize and said he would return shortly. Of course, the moment Funk left his men, a small patrol of enemy troops happened upon the gathering. The Soldiers were quickly overtaken and forced to free the prisoners.Unable to find other friendlies in the area, Funk returned to the scene just as the released Germans were rearming. As he rounded the corner of a toppled café, he was met with the barrel of an MP-40 machine gun pressed into his gut. The German officer behind the weapon began to scream at Funk, who was, needless to say, confused.Instead of dropping his Thompson and putting his hands in the air, Funk calmly looked around. He saw his four men, kneeling with their hands on their heads. He saw his Wehrmacht prisoners, now armed and aiming their rifles at him.Then, Funk did the unthinkable.In one lightning-quick movement, the paratrooper unslung the Tommy gun from his shoulder, swung it around, shot and killed the officer with a burst of .45 ACP ammuniton to the chest and abdomen. Funk then whipped his weapon around immediately started spraying the Germans behind him with bullets, shooting as many as he could. Over the sound of full-auto SMG fire, Funk screamed for the captured Americans to get off and grab guns off of the dead Germans.The Germans immediately returned fire on Funk, of course, and the gunfire took out the American standing next to Funk as the Sergeant not only continued firing, but went through his mag, reloaded, and popped off another full magazine of ammunition into the Germans. In under a minute of fighting, Funk had unleashed 60 bullets, killed 21 Germans and wounded 24 more. <a href="http://www.warhistoryonline.com/war-articles/moh-leonard-a-funk-u-s-paratrooper-who-took-out-40-germans-in-60-seconds.html/attachment/moh2-2" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.warhistoryonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Moh2.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></a>First Sergeant Funk’s official Medal of Honor citation reads: He distinguished himself by gallant, intrepid actions against the enemy. After advancing 15 miles in a driving snowstorm, the American force prepared to attack through waist-deep drifts. The company executive officer became a casualty, and 1st Sgt. Funk immediately assumed his duties, forming headquarters soldiers into a combat unit for an assault in the face of direct artillery shelling and harassing fire from the right flank. Under his skillful and courageous leadership, this miscellaneous group and the 3d Platoon attacked 15 houses, cleared them, and took 30 prisoners without suffering a casualty. The fierce drive of Company C quickly overran Holzheim, netting some 80 prisoners, who were placed under a 4-man guard, all that could be spared, while the rest of the understrength unit went about mopping up isolated points of resistance. An enemy patrol, by means of a ruse, succeeded in capturing the guards and freeing the prisoners, and had begun preparations to attack Company C from the rear when 1st Sgt. Funk walked around the building and into their midst. He was ordered to surrender by a German officer who pushed a machine pistol into his stomach. Although overwhelmingly outnumbered and facing almost certain death, 1st Sgt. Funk, pretending to comply with the order, began slowly to unsling his submachine gun from his shoulder and then, with lightning motion, brought the muzzle into line and riddled the German officer. He turned upon the other Germans, firing and shouting to the other Americans to seize the enemy’s weapons. In the ensuing fight 21 Germans were killed, many wounded, and the remainder captured. 1st Sgt. Funk’s bold action and heroic disregard for his own safety were directly responsible for the recapture of a vastly superior enemy force, which, if allowed to remain free, could have taken the widespread units of Company C by surprise and endangered the entire attack plan.<a href="http://www.warhistoryonline.com/war-articles/moh-leonard-a-funk-u-s-paratrooper-who-took-out-40-germans-in-60-seconds.html/attachment/army_distinguished_service_cross_medal" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.warhistoryonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Army_distinguished_service_cross_medal.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></a>Distinguished Service CrossThe President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to First Sergeant Leonard Alfred Funk, Jr. (ASN: 33070198), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving with Company C, 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82d Airborne Division, in action against enemy forces on 18 September 1944, near Voxhill, Holland. With great courage, intrepidity, and on his own initiative, Sergeant Funk lead a three man patrol against a German flak battery of three 20-mm. guns which were firing on American gliders then circling to land. He drove off all enemy security around the guns and led an assault which killed approximately twenty members of the crews and inflicted other causalities. The flak guns were silenced before effective fire could be placed upon the aircraft, due to the courageous and heroic actions of Sergeant Funk. The courageous action of Sergeant Funk contributed, in large part to the prompt seizure of his company objective and assistance in driving the enemy from the landing zone. His initiative, outstanding bravery, and strong personal leadership, despite overwhelming enemy superiority in both numbers and firepower, enabled him to render a distinguished served in the destruction of enemy resistance. First Sergeant Funk’s intrepid actions, personal bravery and zealous devotion to duty exemplify the highest traditions of the military forces of the United States and reflect great credit upon himself, the 82d Airborne Division, and the United States Army.<a href="http://www.warhistoryonline.com/war-articles/moh-leonard-a-funk-u-s-paratrooper-who-took-out-40-germans-in-60-seconds.html/attachment/medsilvstar" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.warhistoryonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/medsilvstar.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></a>Silver StarThe President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to First Sergeant Leonard Alfred Funk, Jr. (ASN: 33070198), United States Army, for gallantry in action from 6 to 17 June 1944, in Normandy, France. First Sergeant Funk, Company C, 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82d Airborne Division, after the Normandy jump, though suffering from a badly sprained ankle, gathered a group of eighteen men and set a route of march which he believed would lead the group to friendly lines. With unerring accuracy he led this group across twenty miles of enemy infested territory. During the major portion of the journey he acted as lead scout, refusing to jeopardize the safety of his men after three scouts had been lost. The group traveled by night and after numerous encounters with enemy groups, First Sergeant Funk led them through the MLR to the security of our forces. First Sergeant Funk’s courage and determination was responsible for the group’s safe return, and reflects great credit upon himself. <a href="http://www.warhistoryonline.com/war-articles/moh-leonard-a-funk-u-s-paratrooper-who-took-out-40-germans-in-60-seconds.html/2" target="_blank">http://www.warhistoryonline.com/war-articles/moh-leonard-a-funk-u-s-paratrooper-who-took-out-40-germans-in-60-seconds.html/2</a></blockquote>

Verificación: Guerra desarrollada entre Argentina y el Reino Unido en 1982