Paul Luther Bolden
Find a Grave |
From history.army.mil |
| Born: | June 15, 1922, Hobbs Island, AL |
| Died: | May 21, 1979, Huntsville, AL |
| Buried: | Moon Cemetery, Owen Cross Roads, AL |
Notes:
• One of two World War II Congressional Medal of Honor Winners - Why Is It Named That?
• United States Army 1942-45 World War II Master Sergeant 120th Infantry Regiment, 30th Infantry Division
• Bolden's official Medal of Honor citation reads: "He voluntarily attacked a formidable enemy strong point in Petit-Coo, Belgium, on 23 December 1944, when his company was pinned down by extremely heavy automatic and small-arms fire coming from a house 200 yards to the front. Mortar and tank artillery shells pounded the unit, when S/Sgt. Bolden and a comrade, on their own initiative, moved forward into a hail of bullets to eliminate the ever-increasing fire from the German position. Crawling ahead to close with what they knew was a powerfully armed, vastly superior force, the pair reached the house and took up assault positions, S/Sgt. Bolden under a window, his comrade across the street where he could deliver covering fire. In rapid succession, S/Sgt. Bolden hurled a fragmentation grenade and a white phosphorus grenade into the building; and then, fully realizing that he faced tremendous odds, rushed to the door, threw it open and fired into 35 SS troopers who were trying to reorganize themselves after the havoc wrought by the grenades. Twenty Germans died under fire of his submachine gun before he was struck in the shoulder, chest, and stomach by part of a burst which killed his comrade across the street. He withdrew from the house, waiting for the surviving Germans to come out and surrender. When none appeared in the doorway, he summoned his ebbing strength, overcame the extreme pain he suffered and boldly walked back into the house, firing as he went. He had killed the remaining 15 enemy soldiers when his ammunition ran out. S/Sgt. Bolden's heroic advance against great odds, his fearless assault, and his magnificent display of courage in reentering the building where he had been severely wounded cleared the path for his company and insured the success of its mission." - Medal of Honor Recipients World War II
• Honors:
- World War II Congressional Medal of Honor (highest honor)
- Silver Star
- Four Bronze Stars
- Two Purple Hearts
- Belgian Croiz de Guerre with Palm.
- One of the most decorated soldiers of the war.
• "HUNTSVILLE TIMES, Monday, May 21, 1979 Medal Of Honor Winner Paul Bolden Dies at 56 Paul BOLDEN, a Congressional Medal of Honor winner who was Madison County's most-decorated veteran of World War II, died this morning at Huntsville Hospital. He was 56. Bolden was awarded the nation's highest military honor from President Harry TRUMAN for outstanding bravery in the 1944 Battle of the Bulge in Belgium. He single-handedly killed 35 German SS troopers while a sergeant commanding an American fighting unit. For his heroism in the battle and other European campaigns, Bolden was awarded the Silver Star, four Bronze Stars, and the Belgian Croix de Guerre, among other decorations in addition to the Medal of Honor. Bolden, who worked after the war as a civilian employee at Redstone Arsenal, made his home on a farm near the Tennessee state line at Ardmore. Spry Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements." - Ancestry.com
• Father of:
1. Paul Luther Bolden, Jr. (1947 - 1998) of New Hope
2. Thomas W. Bolden (1949 - 1999) of New Hope
3. Matthew Bolden (1951 - 2005) of Fort Knox, Ky.
4. Aaron Bolden (1955 - 1994) of Ardmore, Tenn,
5. Mrs. Eva Jean Demonbrun of Oak Ridge, Tenn.
6. Mrs. Linda Shafer of New Hope
7. Miss Mary Bolden of Ardmore
• Married: Violet Lorine Bolden, April 23, 1927
Related Links:
• Ancestry.com - Obituary from Huntsville Times (Originally found at http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~dcglover/630.htm.)
• Find A Grave - Page created by Don Morfe January 30, 2003 and maintained by Find A Grave
• Find A Grave Photo - Photo of Bolden receiving his Medal of Honor
• House of Names - Bolden Coat of Arms and Name History (Originally found at http://www.houseofnames.com/bolden-coat-of-arms.)
• Hubpages.com - An article by MJFenn titled: Visiting Coo: Belgium's largest waterfall with a section of the artcile titled: Battle of the Bulge, and Paul L Bolden's Medal of Honor.
• Medal of Honor Recipients World War II - Award photo and citation, organized in alphabetical order. (Originally found at http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/wwII-a-f.html.)
• Old Huntsville - Story based on the military service of Paul Bolden (Originally found at http://www.oldhuntsville.com/articles/No%20Place%20for%20a%20Hero.php.)
• The Veterns Memorial Museum - The Veterns Memorial Museum named in his honor. Website (Originally found at http://www.memorialmuseum.org/index.html.)
• Why Is It Named That? - Paul Bolden Military Museum Building article in Why Is It Named That? By Dex Nilsson, Twinbrook Communications, © 2003, p. 79.
• Wikipedia - Bio
The Following Pages Link to this Page:
• Why Is It Named That?